The United States presidential election of 2008 was held on Tuesday November 4, 2008 to elect the 44th president of the United States of America. It was the 56th quadrennial election for President and Vice President. George W. Bush, the incumbent President, was vacating the position after serving the maximum two terms allowed by the Twenty-second Amendment. Representative Ron Paul of Texas won the Republican nomination, while the Democrats nominated Hillary Rodham Clinton, Junior Senator from New York and former First Lady, and the first female nominee for a major party ticket. Paul eventually emerged victorious after narrowly defeating Clinton by 20 electoral votes.