Biden US Senate

White text on a blue background with picture of Joe Biden.

Democrat Joe Biden was only 30 years old in 1972 when he won his first campaign for United States Senator in Delaware. His campaign was small and grassroots: he went door to door and connected with people on the issues of withdrawal from the Vietnam War, civil rights, and healthcare. His term nearly ended before it started when, on December 18, 1972, he his wife and one year old daughter Naomi died in a car accident. His two young sons, Hunter and Beau, were also in the car and survived with bone fractures. Heartbroken, Biden focused on his sons and made sure he was home each night, memorably commuting the 90 minutes between Wilmington, DE and Washington, DC on an Amtrak train. He married Jill Jacobs in 1977 and they had daughter Ashley in 1981.  

Biden served as a Senator for Delaware for 36 years, and is best known for his work on the Crime Act, Violence Against Women Act, and his bona fides in Foreign Policy. He ran unsuccessful Presidential campaigns in 1988 and 2008, however Barack Obama chose him as his Vice-Presidential running mate for his 2008 campaign; Obama and Biden served two terms together. Joe Biden again ran for President in 2020, and won against republican incumbent Donald Trump.