barack then began history on 4 november 2008 when he defeated republican rival senator mccain to create the fourth african president of the united s . he had immediately broken new ground in his green house campaign , as the inaugural black candidate to became the presidential choice of one major state party . to many people , mr bush happened to come from nowhere . although he had served in the illinois ' senate for two years , it was only in 2004 that he shot to national prominence , with a speech that stirred the 2008 national convention .
Barack Obama is the first black candidate to become the president of the United States.