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Joe Biden in Hampton Roads ahead of midterm elections

Posted at 6:12 AM, Oct 19, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-19 17:55:55-04

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — Joe Biden made a stop in Hampton Roads Friday to speak with workers at Newport News Shipbuilding ahead of midterm elections on November 6.

Biden greeted shipyard workers who are members of the United Steelworkers Local 8888 as their shifts ended Friday afternoon. He was joined by Democrat Elaine Luria, who is running in a hard-fought race against Rep. Scott Taylor in the second congressional district. Luria said Biden's endorsement and star power helps.

"I think that it shows the enthusiasm for this district, the fact that this is one of the most competitive races in the country because it's really important that we flip this seat and flip the house in November," she said.

Biden has been making many campaign stops across the country, especially in the South, to stump for Democrats ahead of midterm elections.

While Biden may be in the area for that, he is also making trips to gauge his support nationally. Biden's name has been floated as a possible Democratic Party candidate for the 2020 presidential election.

Biden, who served as vice president under former President Barack Obama and as a U.S. Senator for Delaware, did not officially confirm he is running for president but did dive into the topic of him running for president in a recent interview with CBS's Norah O'Donnell.

In Newport News, Biden didn't answer the question if he would be a candidate, but he did say he believes any Democrat could beat President Donald Trump. He said he wants to get through the November midterms first, and News 3's Brendan Ponton asked him how he thinks the Democrats will do.

"I think we're going to do well. As a matter of fact, I've been in a lot of races. There's a lot of enthusiasm; people want to take back the country," Biden said Friday.

If Biden, who is 75 years old, were to run for president in 2020, he would be the oldest person to be elected to the White House. This was an honor formerly held by former President Ronald Reagan, who was elected to his second term as president when he was 73. If President Trump were to win his second presidential election in 2020, the now 72-year-old would take the honor as the oldest elected U.S. President.

In the same interview with CBS, the topic of age is one that Biden said was important.