What brought Abraham Lincoln to the forefront of American politics? It wasn't his appearance or experience or financial backing. Lincoln was an unlikely politician, and yet his candidacy for the U.S. Senate changed the direction America was headed. Candidate Lincoln puts readers into the crowds during his 1858 campaign and allows them to hear the heated clash of opinions and negative campaigning.Baldino's historical fiction recreates the campaign that redefined American democracy. Eight different main characters dramatize the conflict that led to the catastrophe of America's Civil War.