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Joe Biden, the 46th president of the United States (2021-2025), has run for public office several times, beginning in 1970. Biden served as the 47th vice president (2009–2017), and as a United States senator from Delaware (1973–2009). Biden is the second oldest person elected president and the first president from Delaware.^[1] Biden is a member of the Democratic Party, one of two major parties in the United States.

Biden began his political career in 1970 in New Castle County, Delaware by unseating incumbent County Councilman Lawrence T. Messick.^[2] In 1972, at age 29 he became the seventh-youngest senator in American history when he was elected to the United States Senate in Delaware.^[3] Between 1978 and 2008, he won re-elected to the Senate six times before resigning in 2009 to assume the role of Barack Obama's vice president after they won the 2008 presidential election. They were re-elected to a second term in 2012. All of Biden's senatorial and his county council campaigns were managed by his sister, Valerie Biden Owens. Owens also served as campaign manager for his first two presidential campaigns.^[4]

Biden announced his candidacy for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination on April 25, 2019. A total of 29 major candidates declared their candidacies for the primaries, but over time the field narrowed down to Biden and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Following, Sanders withdrawing from the race, Biden became the presumptive nominee. He defeated incumbent president Donald Trump in the general election, with 306 electoral votes to Trump's 232. Biden was the first Democrat to win the states of Arizona and Georgia since the 1990s and breaking the record for votes cast for a presidential candidate. While he intended to run for re-election in 2024, following calls from various prominent Democrats he withdrew from the race.

Biden has never lost a general election, though he failed to win the Democratic nomination for president in 1988 and 2008. All three of the winning Democratic presidential tickets of the 21st century had Biden on the ticket, either as president or vice president.^[5]

Biden's first election was in New Castle County, Delaware for the fourth district of the New Castle County council. He unseated Republican incumbent Lawrence T. Messick. At the time of Biden's election the state's politics were dominated by Republicans. Biden's campaign was managed by his sister Valerie Biden Owens.^[2]

Biden was elected to the United States Senate seven times between 1972 and 2008. Though shortly after beginning his seventh term he resigned due to being elected to the Vice Presidency.^[7] As of January 22, 2025, Biden is the nineteenth longest serving Senator of all time, serving slightly over thirty-six years. Additionally he is the longest serving Senator from Delaware.^[8] His sister Valerie served as campaign manager on all seven of his campaigns.^[9]

After two years on the New Castle County Council,^[11] Biden decided to challenge incumbent Republican Senator J. Caleb Boggs. Ted Kaufman, who worked on the campaign, recalled that he told Biden, "Joe, I've got to be honest with you; I really don't think you have much of a chance to win this race." The campaign had very little funding and mostly relied on word-of-mouth marketing. On November 7, 1972, Biden upset Boggs by a margin of 3,162 votes.^[12][13]

Shortly after the election Biden's wife and kids were in a car crash. His wife Neilia Hunter and daughter Naomi died, while his children Beau and Hunter were hospitalized. Following the crash Biden contemplated suicide and considered not taking his Senate seat.^[14] He decided to take the seat after being convinced by Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield.^[15]

On November 7, 1978, Biden was re-elected defeating Republican challenger James H. Baxter Jr. and American Party challenger Donald G. Gies. Biden won all three counties, flipping Sussex County away from the Republican Party.^[16]

In 1984, Biden won re-election to a third term, defeating Republican challenger Delaware state house representative John M. Burris. Biden outperformed Democratic presidential nominee Walter Mondale performance in the concurrent presidential election. Mondale lost the state to Republican President Ronald Reagan by over 50 thousand votes and twenty percent of the vote.^[19] Biden later stated that he came very closer to deciding not to run.^[20]

In 1990, Biden, like most incumbents in the 1990 United States Senate elections, was re-elected^[22] defeating deputy Attorney General of Delaware M. Jane Brady. Brady decided to run because she felt that Biden's liberal voting record did not reflect the political positions of Delawareans.^[23] Brady's campaign raised around 245 thousand, she was heavily outspent by Biden who raised around 2.8 million.^[24]

In 1996, Biden was re-elected to a fifth term against Republican Ray Clatworthy. For the first time in his senatorial career Biden's margin of victory decreased.^[21][27] Despite this Biden still greatly outperformed Democratic President Bill Clinton in the concurrent presidential election. Clinton received 51 percent of the vote to Republican Senator Bob Dole's 36.5 percent and Reform candidate Ross Perot's 10.6 percent.^[27]

Biden won re-election to another term defeating Republican challenger Ray Clatworthy. For the second election in a row,^[26][28] Biden's margin of victory decreased. Clatworthy managed to flip Kent County away from the Democrats.^[21][28]

After ending his presidential bid in January 2008, Biden focused instead on running for a seventh Senate term.^[31] On August 23, 2008, Democratic Party presidential nominee Barack Obama announced that he had selected Biden to serve as his vice presidential running mate.^[32] Under Delaware law, Biden could run simultaneously for both his Senate seat and for vice president, which he decided to do.^[33] Within minutes of the polls closing the election was called for Biden.^[34] He was re-elected in a landslide victory against Republican challenger Christine O'Donnell.^[35][36] He again won all three counties flipping Kent County back to the Democratic party.^[28][30] He slightly outperformed Obama's victory in the state.^[35]

Due to his and Obama's victory in the concurrent presidential election, Biden resigned from the Senate a few weeks after being sworn in.^[7] Long time Biden advisor Ted Kaufman was appointed to fill the vacancy. Kaufman decided not to run in the 2010 special election.^[37] The election was won by Democrat Chris Coons who served the remainder of Biden's term.^[38]

Despite not running Biden received one vote at the 1984 Democratic National Convention. Unpledged delegate Keron Kerr cast her vote for Biden because she enjoyed a speech he had performed in her home state, Maine, the previous year.^[40]

The nomination was won by former Vice President Walter Mondale,^[41] who lost to Republican incumbent Ronald Reagan.^[42]

In June 1988, Biden, then in his third Senate term, declared his intentions to run for president.^[43] Originally, Biden was regarded as potentially one of the strongest candidates in the field.^[44] However following reports that he had plagiarized a speech by Neil Kinnock the leader of the British Labour Party, he withdrew before the presidential primaries.^[45]

The nomination was won by Michael Dukakis who lost the general election to Republican George H. W. Bush.^[46]

On January 31, 2007, Biden announced his candidacy.^[47] After finishing in fifth place in the Iowa caucus on January 3, 2008, garnering only one percent of the total vote, Biden ended his presidential bid.^[48]

The Democratic parties of Florida and Michigan violated Democratic National Committee rules by moving their primaries before February 5, 2008, resulting in a nullification of their primaries, until the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee voted to restore half their delegates.^[49]

Excluding penalized contests:

Including penalized contests:

Following Illinois Senator Barack Obama's victory in the primaries Biden, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, and Indiana Senator Evan Bayh were shortlisted to be Obama's running mate.^[51][52] On August 23, 2008 Obama officially nominated Biden to be his running mate.^[53] At the 2008 Democratic National Convention Biden was selected by acclamation as his running mate.^[54]

Obama and Biden won the 2008 presidential election, defeating Republican nominees Arizona Senator John McCain and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Biden was elected the 47th Vice President of the United States.^[57]

At the 2012 Democratic National Convention Biden and Obama were re-nominated, Biden was again nominated by acclamation.^[59]

Obama and Biden won re-election in the 2012 presidential election, defeating the Republican challengers Governor Mitt Romney and Representative Paul Ryan.^[61]

In 2015, the final year of his Vice Presidency, following media speculation that he would seek the presidency in the 2016 United States presidential election. Biden denied the rumors, stating that his "window for a successful campaign has closed".^[62]

Biden announced his candidacy in the 2020 presidential election on April 25, 2019.^[65] A total of 29 major candidates declared their candidacies for the primaries, the largest field of presidential candidates for any American political party since 1972.^[66] He was initially considered to be among the strongest candidates,^[67][68] though his chances diminished after poor performances in the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary.^[69][68] However, he was considered the frontrunner after his wins in the South Carolina primary and on Super Tuesday.^[70][67]

Eventually, the field narrowed down to Biden and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.^[71] Eventually, Sanders withdrew from the race, and Biden became the presumptive Democratic nominee in April 2020,^[72] reaching the delegate threshold needed to secure the nomination in June 2020.^[73]

Biden received 75 percent of the delegate vote to Sanders' 24. Five delegates abstained from voting.^[75]

After winning the Democratic nomination, Biden defeated incumbent president Donald Trump in the general election. He received 306 electoral votes to Trump's 232 becoming the 46th President of the United States.^[77][78] He was the first Democrat to win the states of Arizona and Georgia since the 1990s.^[79][80] Biden received more than 81 million votes, the most votes ever cast for a candidate in a U.S. presidential election.^[78] His running mate, California Senator Kamala Harris, became the first woman to serve as the Vice President of the United States.^[81]

Biden's only primary loss was in the overseas territory American Samoa against businessman Jason Palmer.^[85]

The Florida primary was canceled after the Florida Democratic Party only submitted Biden's name to appear on the ballot.^[86] The Delaware primary was canceled for the same reason.^[87] Biden was awarded the delegates from both states.^[83]

Following a poor performance in the first 2024 presidential debate, several prominent Democrats (including then-Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi) called for Biden to exit the race.^[89][90] On July 21, 2024, Biden withdrew his candidacy and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. Her campaign was ultimately unsuccessful and she lost the election to Donald Trump.^[91]