Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden has decided to add another job to his resume: Governor.
On Thursday, Biden announced he would not seek a third term as Delaware’s attorney general, rather he would focus his sights on the 2016 governor’s race. “After careful consideration, I have concluded that it is not right to ask for your support in 2014, knowing that my focus would be divided between doing my job as Attorney General while at the same time running as a candidate for Governor,” Biden said in a written statement announcing his future plans. “The Office of Attorney General is a four-year commitment. Its responsibilities are too significant, and the voters’ trust too important not to give it my complete and undivided attention. It should not be, nor can it become, a two-year staging ground for another elected office.”
Biden, who is Vice President Joe Biden’s eldest son, is well-liked in his home state. According to a Princeton study from October, the Attorney General’s popularity trumped other state officials. More than 64% of those surveyed have a favorable view of Biden compared to the 16.9% who have an unfavorable view. “Those numbers are very good,” Paul Brewer, the University of Delaware professor who oversaw the polling said in the polling data. “He’s up there with Markell and Carper who have been around a long time and have won a lot of elections. I think that reflects the strength and popularity of Beau Biden in the state. “
Over the past few years Biden has battled health problems. In August, he was hospitalized at a Texas cancer center where he underwent a procedure to remove a small lesion from his brain. In 2010, Biden was away from the office for several weeks after suffering what was described as a mild stroke.
Abby Borovitz