Kammala wannan magana: A shekara ta 2003, Cleland ya fara aiki don yakin neman zaben shugaban kasa na 2004 na Sanata John Kerry na Massachusetts, wanda shi ma tsohon soja ne na Vietnam; Kerry ya ci gaba da lashe zaben Democrat. Cleland sau da yawa ya bayyana a taron kamfen tare da Kerry kuma mutane da yawa suna ɗaukarsa ɗayan mahimman wakilansa, a wani ɓangare a matsayin alama ce ta sadaukarwar da sojoji suka yi don yaƙe-yaƙe. Ya tafi gonar Bush ta Texas don isar da korafin jirgin ruwa mai sauri, amma taron ya kasa yin tasiri sosai. A ranar 29 ga Yuli, 2004, Cleland ya gabatar da Kerry tare da jawabi a
Taron kasa na jam'iyyar Democrat.