Beau Biden

Infobox Officeholder


imagesize = 100 px
caption = Beau Biden at a charity volleyball game in Dover, Delaware
name = Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III
office = Attorney General of Delaware
term_start = January 2 2007
term_end =
predecessor = Carl C. Danberg
successor =
birth_date = birth date and age|1969|2|3
birth_place = Wilmington, Delaware
death_date =
death_place =
spouse = Hallie Bidencite web |url=http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=69559 |title=Attorney General Joseph Robinette 'Beau' Biden III (DE) |accessdate=2008-08-26 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher=votesmart.org]
party = Democratic
residence = Wilmington, Delaware
alma_mater = University of Pennsylvania
Syracuse University
profession = Lawyer
religion = Roman Catholic
rank=Captain
branch= Delaware Army National Guard (Judge Advocate General's Corps)
serviceyears=
battles=

Joseph Robinette "Beau" Biden III (born February 3, 1969) is an American politician, soldier and lawyer from Wilmington, Delaware. He currently serves as the Attorney General of Delaware and a Captain in the Delaware Army National Guard. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Early life and family

Biden was born February 3, 1969 in Wilmington, Delaware, the older son of U.S. Senator and current Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and his first wife, Neilia Hunter. His mother and baby sister were killed in an automobile accident in 1972, in which he and his brother Hunter were also badly injured. He and his brother encouraged his father to remarry,cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/25/us/politics/25wife.html | title=Jill Biden Heads Toward Life in the Spotlight | author=Seelye, Katharine Q. | publisher="The New York Times" | date=2008-08-24 | accessdate=2008-08-25] and Jill Biden became his stepmother in 1977. His half-sister Ashley was born in 1981.

He is a graduate of Archmere Academy, the University of Pennsylvania where he was a member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity, and Syracuse University College of Law. From 1995 to 2004, he worked at the United States Department of Justice in Philadelphia. At first he served as a Counsel in the Office of Policy Development and later as a Federal Prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office. In 2004, he became a partner in the Wilmington law firm Bifferato, Gentilotti, Biden & Balick.

He is married to wife, Hallie, and they have two children, daughter, Natalie, age 4, and a son, Hunter, age 2. [cite news |url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2008-08-25-catholic-biden_N.htm |title=Biden provides Catholic link, but renews abortion debate |accessdate=2008-08-26 |last=Banks |first=Adelle M. |coauthors= |date=2008-08-24 |work= |publisher=usatoday.com]

At the 2008 Democratic National Convention after Joe Biden was nominated for Vice President of the United States, Beau Biden introduced his father. He recounted the auto accident which killed his mother and sister and the subsequent parenting commitment his father made to his sons, a speech at which many delegates wept. cite news |title=Biden shows more bark than bite |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7585384.stm|publisher= "BBC News" | |date= August 28, 2008| author =Kevin Connolly ] cite news |title=Biden Opens New Phase With Attack on McCain |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/us/politics/28biden.html |publisher= "New York Times" |date= August 28, 2008| author =John M. Broder ]

Election history

In his first bid at political office, Biden ran for Attorney General of Delaware in 2006. Biden's opponent was the veteran state Prosecutor and assistant U.S. Attorney, Ferris Wharton. Major issues in the campaign included the candidates' experience and proposed efforts to address sex offenders, Internet predators, senior abuse, and domestic abuse. He won the election by approximately five percentage points.

As Joe Biden has been selected as Barack Obama's vice presidential running mate and a senatorial vacancy might occur if the Obama/Biden ticket is successful in the November elections, there is speculation that Beau Biden might be appointed to or run for his father's Senate seat. [http://www.politicker.com/pindell-report/race/6513/us-senate-delaware] Should Joe Biden run simultaneously for re-election of his Senate seat and Vice President and win both, Joe Biden would presumably vacate his Senate seat and Delaware's Democratic governor, Ruth Ann Minner could appoint Beau Biden to serve the first two years of Joe Biden's term. However, Beau Biden's impending Delaware Army National Guard deployment to Iraq could complicate that appointment.cite news |title=Biden Son's Service In Iraq Complicates Succession Question |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/25/AR2008082502144.html|publisher= "Washington Post" | |date= August 26, 2008| author =Ben Pershing ] Biden could also both take the Senate appointment and fufill his Military service as has been done in the past (Senator Warren Magnuson and Congressman Francis E. Walter were among several members of Congress who left their elected posts without resigning in order to serve in WWII).

Delaware Attorney General

After being elected he appointed former Delaware Attorney General and International Judge Richard S. Gebelein as Chief Deputy Attorney General, and former assistant U.S. Attorney Richard G. Andrews was appointed as State Prosecutor.

As Attorney General, Biden has supported and enforced stronger registration requirements for sex offenders.cite news |title=Lawmakers Endorse Tougher Penalties On Sex Offenders |url=http://www.wmdt.com/topstory/topstory.asp?id=2640 |publisher= "WMDT" | |date= March 29, 2007| author = Nadia Singh ] cite news |title=Delaware's enhanced sex offender law starts |url=http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=5874960|publisher= "Associated Press" / "The News Journal" | |date= January 7, 2008|author = staff ]

Military service

Biden is a member of the Delaware Army National Guard, and serves as a Captain in the Judge Advocate General's office. In August 2007, he received notice that his unit would be deployed to Iraq some time in 2008. He was deployed on October 3, 2008,cite news |title=Biden's Son Off to Iraq |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/08/20/bidens_son_off_to_iraq.html |publisher= "Washington Post" | |date= August 20, 2008 | author = Shailagh Murray ] the day after his father participated in the campaign's only vice presidential debate. His father is on the record as saying, "I don't want him going. But I tell you what, I don't want my grandson or my granddaughters going back in 15 years, and so how we leave makes a big difference." [cite news |title=Biden's Son Headed to Iraq in 2008 |url=http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3489485 |publisher= "Associated Press" / ABC News | last= Staff |date= 2007-08-16 ]

Almanac

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=8 style="background: #ccccff;" | Public Offices
-! Office! Type! Location! Elected! Took Office! Term Ends! notes
- Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Attorney General
Executive
Dover
2006
January 2 2007
January 3 2011|
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=13 style="background: #ccccff;" |Election results
-
Year
Office
Election

Subject
Party
Votes
%

Opponent
Party
Votes
%
-
2006
Attorney General
General|
Party shading/Democratic |Joseph R. Biden, III
Party shading/Democratic |Democratic
Party shading/Democratic |133,152
Party shading/Democratic |52.5%|
Party shading/Republican |Ferris Wharton
Party shading/Republican |Republican
Party shading/Republican |120,062
Party shading/Republican |47.4%
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

Notes

References

* [http://attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/ Delaware Attorney General Office]
* [http://www.bidenag.com/ Delaware's Attorney General]