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Joe Biden, the 46thpresident of the United States (2021–2025), 47thvice president (2009–2017), and formerUnited States senator from Delaware (1973–2009), has sought the presidency four times between 1988 and 2024.^[1] In his first two campaigns (1988 and 2008) he withdrew before or early during the Democratic Primaries. In his third (2020), he was elected president, defeating incumbentDonald Trump.^[2] In his fourth (2024), he won theDemocratic primary but withdrew before the election.

In 2015, there was media speculation that he would seek the presidency in the2016 United States presidential election. Following the death of his sonBeau, Biden ruled out a campaign stating that his "window for a successful campaign has closed".^[3]

At the1984 Democratic National Convention, Keron Kerr, anuncommitted delegate fromMaine, voted for Biden. Kerr decided to vote for Biden after she enjoyed a speech of his at the state convention of theMaine Democratic Party.^[4]

In June 1987, Biden, then in his third term as a Senator, declared his intentions to run for president.^[5] Originally, Biden was regarded as potentially one of the strongest candidates in the field.^[6] However following reports that he had plagiarized a speech byNeil Kinnock,leader of the BritishLabour Party, he withdrew before the first contest of the1988 Democratic Party presidential primaries.^[7]

The primary was won byMichael Dukakis who lost thegeneral election to Republican Vice PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush.^[8]

On January 31, 2007, Biden announced his candidacy for the2008 United States presidential election.^[9] After finishing in fifth place in theIowa caucus, held on January 3, 2008, garnering only one percent of the total vote, Biden ended his presidential bid.^[10] On August 23, 2008, SenatorBarack Obama, the winner of the2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries,selected Biden as his running mate.^[11][12]

The pair won the election, defeating SenatorJohn McCain and GovernorSarah Palin; Biden was elected the 47th Vice President of the United States.^[13]

On April 25, 2019, Biden released a video announcing his candidacy.^[14] He was initially considered to be among the strongest candidates in the2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries,^[15][16] though his chances diminished after poor performances in the Iowa caucus and theNew Hampshire primary.^[17][16] However, he was again considered the frontrunner after his wins in theSouth Carolina primary and onSuper Tuesday.^[18][15] Following SenatorBernie Sanders' decision to suspend his campaign, Biden became the party's "presumptive nominee".^[15]

After winning the nomination, Biden, who pledged to have a female running mate,selected SenatorKamala Harris as his running mate. Harris was the third woman and the first person of color to be a major party vice presidential candidate.^[19][20] In thepresidential election, Biden successfully defeated incumbent PresidentDonald Trump;^[2] he broke the record set by Obama in 2008 for most votes cast for a presidential candidate.^[21][22] He was the first Democrat to win the states ofArizona and Georgia sinceBill Clinton in the 1990s.^[23]

Biden intended to run for a second term in the2024 United States presidential election.^[24] On April 25, 2023, Biden formally announced his reelection bid.^[25] U.S. RepresentativeDean Phillips unsuccessfully challenged Biden in the2024 Democratic Party presidential primaries.^[26] On March 12, 2024, Biden became the presumptive nominee for the 2024 Democratic nomination.^[27] Following a poor performance in thefirst 2024 presidential debate, several Democrats (includingSenate majority leaderChuck Schumer and formerSpeaker of the HouseNancy Pelosi) called for Biden to exit the race.^[28][29] On July 21, 2024, Bidenwithdrew his candidacy and endorsed Vice President Harris.Her campaign was ultimately unsuccessful and she lost the election to Trump.^[24]

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