The former vice president, now the Democratic presidential nominee, says he can build on the Obama legacy and unite the country in a challenging time.
- 77 years old
- Born in Scranton, Pa.; lives in Wilmington, Del.
- Six-term senator from Delaware first elected in 1972; 47th vice president of the United States.
- Also sought the Democratic nomination for president in ’88 and ’08
Biden’s signature issues
Mr. Biden, who has served in public life for around a half-century, is emphasizing his government experience, seeking to cast himself as a steady, seasoned hand in a dangerous and uncertain world.
As the coronavirus crisis has unfolded, he has looked for ways to help voters picture him as commander in chief, formulating recommendations rooted in advice from health care and economics experts. Those suggestions include making coronavirus tests broadly accessible, and free. He has said there should be no out-of-pocket cost for patients to receive an eventual vaccine, either. And he has been sharply critical of President Trump’s response to the virus, accusing him of reacting too slowly.
Mr. Biden served as vice president in the Obama administration during the passage of the Affordable Care Act, and health care remains a top priority for him. It’s an issue he often discusses in the context of his family’s personal tragedies: He lost his first wife and an infant daughter in a car accident in 1972, and in 2015, his son Beau Biden died of brain cancer. Health care, he said in an early television ad, is “personal” to him. He supports adding a public option to the Affordable Care Act, but opposes “Medicare for all,” the sweeping single-payer measure advocated by some progressives in his party, including Senator Bernie Sanders.
Mr. Biden, who served for decades in the Senate, firmly believes in the value of bipartisanship and insists on extending overtures to Republicans even in a moment when many in his own party don’t see negotiating partners on the other side. As a former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he also speaks passionately about asserting and defending America’s role as a leader on the global stage.
Three questions about Joe Biden
1. Would Joe Biden be the oldest president in history?
Yes. He would be the oldest president in history at his inauguration, at age 78. Mr. Trump, who is currently 74, would also be the oldest president ever if he wins a second term.
2. Where is Joe Biden from?
Mr. Biden was born in Scranton, Pa., in 1942, and moved to Delaware as a child. As a politician, he has maintained close political ties to both states, though Mr. Trump has accused Mr. Biden of having “deserted” Pennsylvania.
“I was in third grade,” Mr. Biden shot back.
He continues to maintain strong ties to Pennsylvania, a critical general election battleground that Mr. Trump won in 2016, and he has based his campaign headquarters in Philadelphia.
3. What role does the Obama era play in Joe Biden’s campaign?
A big one. Mr. Obama did not endorse Mr. Biden until the primary race was settled, but he and Mr. Biden forged a close relationship in his administration. Mr. Biden talks about their friendship frequently, as well as the work they did together on issues ranging from health care to foreign policy.
Throughout the primary, some of Mr. Biden’s biggest applause at campaign events came as he praised Mr. Obama. And many Democratic voters, especially African-American voters, have cited his relationship with Mr. Obama and nostalgia for that administration in explaining their current support for Mr. Biden. Now that the primary is over, Mr. Biden is also focused on winning the enthusiastic support of Democrats who supported other candidates and are lukewarm toward his candidacy — and his campaign must also think about engaging independent voters and moderate Republicans.
“If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are, and I cannot stand by and watch that happen.”
