Presidential candidate Joseph Biden

Joseph Biden

Democratic presidential candidate Tinsley Merriman | MSU Admin Reporter | @merrimantinsley

Running as the Democratic nominee for United States president is Joseph “Joe” Biden. His running mate is Kamala Harris.

Biden is the former Democratic vice president of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama from Jan. 20, 2009 to Jan. 20, 2017.

Biden was born on Nov. 20, 1942 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Delaware where he graduated with history and political science degrees. He then went on to graduate with a law degree from Syracuse University in 1968.

According to Ballotpedia, from 1968 to1972, Biden was a defense attorney in Wilmington, Delaware. He then served on the New Castle County Council in Delaware from 1970 to 1972.

At 29, Biden was elected as Delaware’s state senator and remained in the Senate from 1973 to 2009. While there, he chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Biden has previously run for president twice, once in 1987 and again in 2008. He dropped out of the former and became Barack Obama’s running mate in August 2008 after being placed fifth

at the Iowa Caucus.

Biden has written several books, including “Promises to Keep,” “Promise me, Dad” and “Conversations with Joe.”

Ballotpedia reports Biden announcing his run for the 2020 presidency on April 25, 2019. He was officially selected by the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 18, 2020 after candidate Bernie Sanders dropped out of the running in April.

Biden’s policies include building better jobs for the economy, maintaining racial equality in businesses and creating a “clean energy future.” A full list of his policies can be found on his campaign website.

Votesmart has a database of Biden’s past speeches, funding and votes on bills. These include his time as both a senator, committee chair and vice president.

More information about Joe Biden can be found at joebiden.com