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Beau Biden

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Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III
Beau Biden at a charity volleyball game in Dover, Delaware
Attorney General of Delaware
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 2, 2007
Preceded byCarl C. Danberg
Personal details
Born (1969-02-03) February 3, 1969 (age 55)
Wilmington, Delaware
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseHallie Biden[1]
Residence(s)Wilmington, Delaware
Alma materUniversity of Pennsylvania
Syracuse University
ProfessionLawyer
Military service
Branch/serviceDelaware Army National Guard (Judge Advocate General's Corps)
RankCaptain

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 vice president elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and his first wife Neilia Hunter. His mother and younger 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,[2] 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.[1][3]

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. [4][5]

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 will occur when Biden resigns his senate seat to assume the vice-presidency, there is speculation that Beau Biden might be appointed to or run for his father's Senate seat. [1] Since Joe Biden simultaneously won re-election of his Senate seat and his Vice Presidential bid, he will 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.[6] Biden could also both take the Senate appointment and fulfill 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.[7][8]

Military service

Biden is a member of the Delaware Army National Guard, and serves as a Captain in the Judge Advocate General's Corps as part of the 261st Signal Brigade in Smyrna.[9][10] In August 2007, he received notice that his unit would be deployed to Iraq in 2008. He was deployed on October 3, 2008,[11] 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." [12]

Almanac

Public Offices
Office Type Location Elected Took Office Term Ends notes
Attorney General Executive Dover 2006 January 2, 2007 January 3, 2011
Election results
Year Office Election Subject Party Votes % Opponent Party Votes %
2006 Attorney General General Joseph R. Biden, III Democratic 133,152 52.5% Ferris Wharton Republican 120,062 47.4%

Notes

  1. ^ a b "Attorney General Joseph Robinette 'Beau' Biden III (DE)". votesmart.org. Retrieved 2008-08-26. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ Seelye, Katharine Q. (2008-08-24). "Jill Biden Heads Toward Life in the Spotlight". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-08-25. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ Banks, Adelle M. (2008-08-24). "Biden provides Catholic link, but renews abortion debate". usatoday.com. Retrieved 2008-08-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ Kevin Connolly (August 28, 2008). "Biden shows more bark than bite". BBC News. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ John M. Broder (August 28, 2008). "Biden Opens New Phase With Attack on McCain". New York Times. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ Ben Pershing (August 26, 2008). "Biden Son's Service In Iraq Complicates Succession Question". Washington Post. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ Nadia Singh (March 29, 2007). "Lawmakers Endorse Tougher Penalties On Sex Offenders". WMDT. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ staff (January 7, 2008). "Delaware's enhanced sex offender law starts". Associated Press / The News Journal. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ "Joe Biden bids farewell to son Beau Biden, headed to Iraq," Los Angeles Times, Michael Finnegan, October 4, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-11-01.
  10. ^ Delaware National Guard Office of the Staff Judge Advocate Webpage, retrieved on 2008-11-01.
  11. ^ Shailagh Murray (August 20, 2008). "Biden's Son Off to Iraq". Washington Post. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ Staff (2007-08-16). "Biden's Son Headed to Iraq in 2008". Associated Press / ABC News. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

References

Legal offices
Preceded by Attorney General of Delaware
2007–present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
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