Barack Obama served as the 44th President of the United States from January 20, 2009, to January 20, 2017
. He is a Democrat and was elected in the 2008 presidential election, defeating Republican nominee John McCain with 365 electoral votes to McCain's 173
. Obama was the first African American to hold the office, and his presidency focused on various domestic and international policies, including healthcare reform, economic recovery, and climate change
