Barack Obama is a Senator from Illinois and currently candidate for the Democratic nomination of President of the United States in the 2008 U.S. presidential election. Born to a Kenyan father and an American mother, he spent most of his early childhood in Hawaii. From ages six to ten, he lived in Indonesia with his mother and stepfather. His college studies began at Occidental College in California after which he transfered to Columbia University and graduated. He then went on to Harvard Law School At the start of his public service career, Obama worked as a community organizer, university lecturer, and civil rights lawyer. In 1997 he ran for Illinois Senate and served until 2004. After an unsuccessful campaign for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000, he announced his bid for U.S. Senate in 2003. In 2004, still serving as an Illinois state legislator, Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Obama is in a tight campaign for the Democratic bid for Presidency with Hillary Clinton.