Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office, as well as the first president born in Hawaii. Obama previously served as the junior United States Senator from Illinois from January 2005 until he resigned after his election to the presidency in November 2008. On June 3, 2008, he was named the nominee of the Democratic Party for President of the United States after a 17-month-long primary campaign. He became the President-elect after defeating Republican presidential candidate John McCain in the general election on November 4, 2008, and was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States on January 20, 2009.