Gertrude Baines (6 April 1894 – 11 September 2009) was an American supercentenarian who was the oldest living person in the world from the death of Maria de Jesus on 2 January 2009 until her own death eight months later. When asked what she credited to her longevity, she answered, "God. Ask him... I took good care of myself, the way he wanted me to." Baines, a daughter of former slaves, cast a vote for Barack Obama in the 2008 US presidental elections. The only time she voted before was for John F. Kennedy.