Biden.Joe.VPVice President Joe Biden announced today, Wednesday, Oct. 21, he is not running for president, ending months of speculation over his campaign. He made the announcement in the Rose Garden of the White House.
His family is still reeling from the recent death of his son Beau Biden, the former Delaware Attorney General, who died from brain cancer earlier this year.
In his speech he called for end to divisive rhetoric currently dividing Democrats and Republicans.
Republicans aren’t the enemy, he said, “but the opposition.”
He fell short of endorsing any other of the four remaining Democratic contenders but urged them to defend President Obama’s legacy and touted further action on income equality and LGBT issues.
Rumors had swirled over the past few weeks about whether or not Biden would run for the nomination. Some speculated even as early as this morning the former Delaware senator would mount his third campaign. He unsuccessfully ran in 1988 and 2008.
Will Pierce, executive director of Draft Biden 2016, said he was disappointed.
“We are so grateful for the gigantic outpouring of support from hundreds of thousands of Americans around the country in our effort to encourage the Vice President to run. While the Vice President has decided not to run, we know that over the next year he will stand up for all Americans and articulate a vision for America’s future that will leave no one behind,” he said.
Biden’s decision to not run leaves the Democratic primary with four candidates: former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont who caucuses with Democrats, former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chaffee and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley.
Former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb dropped out of the Democratic primary this week to wage an independent run for president.