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Beau Biden, son of VP, plans to run for governor of Delaware in 2016

Beau Biden says on campaign website he is leaving office as Delaware attorney general to focus on run for governor in 2016.

By Frances Burns
Beau Biden and U.S. President Barack Obama after U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is sworn in during the public ceremonial inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. UPIWin McNamee/pool
Beau Biden and U.S. President Barack Obama after U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is sworn in during the public ceremonial inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. UPIWin McNamee/pool | License Photo

DOVER, Del., April 17 (UPI) -- Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, son of Vice President Joe Biden, announced Thursday he plans to run for governor in 2016.

Biden said on his campaign website that he has dropped plans to run for a third term as attorney general this year.

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"Over the past few months, as I’ve been planning to run for reelection, I have also been giving a great deal of thought to running for governor in 2016," he said. "What started as a thought -- a very persistent thought -- has now become a course of action that I wish to pursue," he said. "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, 45, was first elected attorney general in 2006. In October 2008, a month before his father was elected vice president, he began a year's service in Iraq as an officer in the Delaware National Guard, where he is now a major in the Judge Advocate General Corps.

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Biden's service as attorney general has also been interrupted by health problems. In 2010, he suffered what was described as a "mild stroke," and in August 2013, he had surgery in Texas for what doctors said was a small brain lesion.

Joe Biden was born in Scranton, Pa., and spent his early childhood there, moving to Delaware with his family at the age of 10. He represented the state in the U.S. Senate for more than 30 years before President Obama tapped him as his running mate.

Father and son could be running for office at the same time. Joe Biden has not ruled out a run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, when he will be 73.

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