In 2004, Obama received national attention during his campaign to represent Illinois in the United States Senate with his victory in March. He began his presidential campaign in 2007 and, in 2008, he won sufficient delegates in the Democratic Party primaries to receive the presidential nomination. He then defeated Republican nominee John McCain in the general election, and was inaugurated as president on 20 January 2009. Nine months after his inauguration, Obama was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.