BARACK OBAMA

Just three years ago, Barack Obama was an Illinois state senator. But a sensational speech at the 2004 Democratic national convention brought him to national attention as a rising star even before he won election to the U.S. Senate. Obama's youth and charisma have brought comparisons to John F. Kennedy, while his ability to draw large crowds got him labeled a "rock star."

BIRTHDAY: Aug. 4, 1961 (46) HOMETOWN: Honolulu, Hawaii RELIGION: Christian

FAMILY: The son of a black Kenyan and a white American, Obama was raised by his mother and grandparents in Hawaii and Indonesia. Married to wife Michelle, a hospital executive, since 1992; they have two young daughters.

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree, Columbia University, 1983; law degree, Harvard Law School, 1991.

EXPERIENCE: First black president of the Harvard Law Review; lawyer, 1993-2004, and law professor; Illinois state senator, 1997-2004; U.S. senator from Illinois, 2005-present.

YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW: New genealogical research recently revealed that Obama and Vice President Dick Cheney are distant cousins; Obama also has American ancestors who owned slaves.

CAMPAIGN OFFICIAL WEB SITE WWW.BARACKOBAMA.COM

CHOICE TO RUN:

Says he represents a new generation that can lead America to an era of reform. Good "judgment," he says, is more important than long experience.

MAJOR THEMES:

It's all in the title of his best-selling book "The Audacity of Hope." Obama paints a broad, inspiring picture and tells of U.S. history as a journey of progress toward inclusiveness.

IN NEVADA:

Has the most campaign offices, 11, of any candidate and has spent 12 days in the state. His campaign has run television and Spanish radio ads in the state, and he is supported by five state legislators.

IN THE POLLS

NATIONALLY

Obama tends to run a strong second to New York Sen. Hillary Clinton but usually trails by double-digit margins in nationwide Democratic polls.

NEVADA

Obama didn't seem to be getting much traction in Nevada until the Review-Journal's most recent poll showed him just 8 percentage points behind Clinton here. That's still a respectable lead for Clinton, but it puts Obama within striking distance.

POSITIONS

WAR/NATIONAL SECURITY

Opposed the war in Iraq before it started, while he was a candidate for the Senate, but didn't have to cast a vote on the issue. He now advocates a cautious withdrawal. He has criticized Clinton for voting for an Iran resolution he portrays as war-mongering, but was not present in the Senate to cast a vote himself.

HEALTH CARE

Obama's plan for universal health care would create a national health insurance marketplace while expanding existing government programs that cover children and older Americans. Under his plan, people would not be required to purchase health insurance, which rivals have called a weakness.

IMMIGRATION

Like most Democrats, Obama supports comprehensive immigration reform that would improve border security while giving existing illegal immigrants a means to achieve legal status if they meet certain requirements. He supports driver's licenses for illegal immigrants.

NEVADA ISSUES

Opposes the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, even though his home state of Illinois would like to send spent nuclear rods to Nevada and the nuclear industry has contributed heavily to his campaign. He doesn't rule out a future for nuclear power. Obama has drafted an extensive portfolio of proposals for rural Nevada, including opposition to the mining-reform legislation currently being discussed in Congress.

ENERGY

Would start a cap-and-trade system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and invest $150 billion in renewable energy. He calls for increased diplomacy on global warming.

TAXES

Proposes several tax breaks for the middle class. He would eliminate President Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy. He has said he would shore up Social Security partly by raising the cap on income subject to payroll taxes, currently $97,000.

CRITICS

Obama's foes have sought to portray him as inexperienced, especially when it comes to foreign policy. He's also been painted as hypocritical for his emphasis on cleaning up Washington. To curb undue influence, he has promised not to accept money from federal lobbyists and political action committees, but plenty of loopholes have been found in that pledge, and he is no stranger to politics as usual. Meanwhile, his signature themes of hope and positivity are inevitably brought up to haunt him whenever he criticizes another candidate.