The United States Senate career of Barack Obama began on January 4, 2005 and ended on November 16, 2008. He resigned his seat in the Illinois Senate upon being elected. Obama won the seat in an election against Alan Keyes who replaced Republican Primary election winner Jack Ryan. Prior to his election but after Ryan withdrew from the race, he rose to national prominence by delivering the 2004 Democratic National Convention keynote address. Upon his election, he became the fifth African-American Senator in U.S. history, the third to have been popularly elected.