Former Vice President and Delaware Senator Joe Biden Announces 2020 Presidential Run

The 46th Vice President of the United States and decades-long U.S. Senator for Delaware Joe Biden has announced he’ll seek the Democratic nomination for President in the 2020 election cycle.

In an announcement video posted online on Thursday morning, Biden highlighted the 2017 unrest in Charlottesville, Virginia. He said that the Trump presidency is “an abhorrent moment in time.” Biden talked of the idea of America “that no matter where you start in life, there’s nothing you can’t achieve if you work at it.”

Biden is hoping the third time will be the charm, as he embarks on his third presidential run, after failed attempts in 1988 and 2008. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Biden has spent the majority of his life living in Delaware.

Before he even entered the race, his candidacy has been plagued by accusations of unwanted touching by women he has interacted with over the years, including Nevada Lt. Governor Candidate Lucy Flores, who says Biden kissed her head without permission. Other women say Biden touched them inappropriately during greetings. Biden defended the interactions saying in a video “Politics to me has always been about making connections, but I will be more mindful about respecting personal space in the future.”

Biden enters the race as an early frontrunner, topping virtually every national, Iowa and New Hampshire poll. In a Morning Consult poll released earlier this month Biden held an eight point lead over the Democratic field nationally at 31 percent, to closest challenger Senator Bernie Sanders at 23 percent. In the nearby battleground state of Pennsylvania, Biden held a 12 percent advantage in a Morning Call poll. General election poll matchups between President Donald Trump and Former Vice President Biden show an edge for Biden, with an April 15th Emerson poll showing Biden ahead by 6 points.

President Trump has been a frequent critic of Former Vice President Biden, dubbing him “Sleepy Joe Biden” in tweets, and criticizing the previously mentioned personal touching that Biden is accused of.

At a Delaware Democratic Dinner in Dover last month, Mr. Biden hinted at a Presidential run and thanked his fellow Delawareans for their support, including a personal thank you to Representative Lisa Blunt-Rochester, Former Senator Ted Kaufman and Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons.