Joe Biden, a longtime U.S. senator from Delaware, began his 2008 presidential campaign when he announced his candidacy for President of the United States on the January 7, 2007, edition of Meet the Press. He officially became a candidate on January 31, 2007, after filing papers with the Federal Election Commission.

During the campaign, Biden focused on his plan to achieve political success in the Iraq War through a system of federalization. He touted his record in the Senate as the head of several committees and experience in foreign policy. Despite a few notable endorsements, Biden failed to garner significant support in opinion polls, and was marred by controversial comments made while campaigning. He ultimately dropped out of the race on January 3, 2008, after coming in fifth place and capturing less than 1% of the vote in the Iowa caucus.

Seven months after the conclusion of his campaign, Biden was selected to be Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's vice presidential running mate. The pair won in the general election, and were sworn in on January 20, 2009, causing Biden to leave the Senate after 36 years. Years later, in the 2020 election, Biden would go on to become the Democratic presidential nominee, defeating Obama's successor, the 45th president and Republican nominee Donald Trump, becoming the 46th president of the United States.