US President Joe Biden has announced he will run for re-election in 2024. The Democrat has long signalled that he will seek a second four-year term and formally launched his campaign in a video on Tuesday. He said it was a pivotal moment with freedoms and rights under threat. “This is not a time to be complacent,” he said. “That’s why I’m running”.
Mr Biden, 80, is already the oldest president in US history and would be 86 after a second full term in 2029. He faced off against Donald Trump in 2020, defeating the Republican after promising to “restore the soul of the United States”. “When I ran for president four years ago, I said we are in a battle for the soul of America – and we still are,” Mr Biden said in the three-minute video, which shows the president meeting a diverse range of Americans.
Mr Trump has already launched his bid for the presidency, raising the prospect of a rematch between the pair on 5 November 2024. Both are considered favourites to win their nominations. For months now, Mr Biden has made clear that he will stand for re-election with the main question being the timing of his announcement. After spending the weekend with aides at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, he opted to launch his campaign on the fourth anniversary of his 2020 announcement.
Vice-President Kamala Harris, 58, will once again be his running mate. Julie Chavez Rodriguez, a senior White house Adviser, will serve as campaign manager. As yet Mr Biden has no major challengers for the Democratic nomination meaning a smooth path to the candidacy is almost certain.
