Joe Biden 1988 presidential campaign

Joe Biden for President 1988
Campaign1988 Democratic primaries
1988 United States presidential election
CandidateJoe Biden
U.S. Senator from Delaware
(beginning 1973)
Member of the New Castle County Council from the 4th district
(1971–1973)
AffiliationDemocratic Party
AnnouncedJune 9, 1987
SuspendedSeptember 23, 1987
Key peopleTim Ridley (manager)
Valerie Biden Owens (manager)
Larry Rasky (press secretary)
Ted Kaufman (treasurer)
Pat Caddell (pollster/consultant)

The 1988 presidential campaign of Joe Biden, a Democratic U.S. Senator from Delaware, began in June 1987. Originally, Biden was regarded as potentially one of the strongest candidates in the field. In September 1987, however, reports emerged that he had plagiarized a speech by the British Leader of the Opposition and Labour Party Leader, Neil Kinnock. Other allegations of past law school plagiarism and exaggerating his academic record soon followed and Biden withdrew from the race later that month.

Biden would run for president again. His 2008 campaign also ended in early failure, although he was asked to join nominee Barack Obama's ticket and was elected the 47th vice president. On his third effort, in 2020, he became the Democratic Party's nominee and then was elected the 46th president of the United States. Biden initially intended to run for a second term in 2024 but withdrew following speculation about his cognitive health.