‘Yes We Can’: Junior Illinois senator announces presidential run 15 years ago today

Barack Obama announced his presidential candidacy in Illinois 15 years ago today in throwback footage.

To celebrate the milestone a new marker will go up on the grounds of the Old State Capitol in Springfield on the spot where he declared his historic candidacy.

Reflecting on the anniversary, Obama said: “It’s easy to look back on that morning, and the nearly two year campaign that followed, and think that our efforts were destined for success. But at the time, our campaign was viewed as a longshot — historic perhaps, but unlikely to end in the White House.”

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