kafin ya tsaya takara, da shi Sanata ne a Jam'iyar dimukaratic ta Jihara Illinois acikin wannan lokacin a 4 ga 2005 zuwa 16 ga shekara ta 2008 kuma shene dan afirka na farko a majalisar wakilai Amurika kuma shine dan asalin Afirka na farko da yatsaya takarar shugaban Amurika a Jam'iyar dimucraic sannan ya kayar da abokiyar takatarsa Hillary Clinton.