As President Joe Biden makes his reelection campaign official, his secret weapon to winning a second term could be his wife of 46 years, Jill Biden.
The first lady proved a tour de force during the midterm elections, where she raised millions of dollars for the Democrats and campaigned in tough battleground states like Arizona, Wisconsin, Georgia and Texas — areas where the president wouldn’t even go — to help the Democratic candidates.
Those close to her have said she is “all in” if her husband is seeking a second term. She is his most trusted advisor and the last person he speaks to every day. He wouldn’t run again without her blessing.
“It’s been a busy week!” Jill Biden tweeted from her personal account after the president released a video announcing his re-election bid.
She posted a photo of herself in front of Northern Virginia Community College where she teaches and added, “Like four years ago – I’m going to teach and Joe’s launched his (re-election) campaign! Let’s finish the job!’
Jill Biden, 71, is also the biggest mainstay of the Biden legacy and some say she’s better able to keep up to date than her husband, who tends to fumble.
Jill Biden is a powerful surrogate for Democrats and could be the secret weapon for President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign
“Her palpable enthusiasm as she campaigns for her husband sends the message that she is committed to her husband as a candidate and is passionate about his policies,” said Ohio University professor Katherine Jellison, an expert on public health. first ladies, to DailyMail.com.
“Given that her husband is sometimes criticized for lacking energy in his own campaign appearances, Jill Biden’s participation in the campaign has the potential to reach and energize an audience that her husband may not be reaching as effectively.”
The first lady has already articulated why President Biden, who at age 80 is the oldest president ever elected, is seeking a second term.
“He says he’s not done yet,” she told the Associated Press in a February interview. He didn’t finish what he started. And that’s what’s important.’
Her words weigh on the administration, where she keeps a close eye on President Biden. She is often seen on the Truman balcony of the White House, watching him disembark from Marine One on the South Lawn after a trip (she even had a glass of wine in her hand once).
And on many occasions, she has her hand on his elbow to guide Biden if he spends too long chatting with supporters or reporters or if he is simply running late.
She also played questions about his health and age, pointing to his schedule.
“Ridiculous,” she told CNN earlier this year when asked about Nikki Haley’s proposal that presidential candidates over the age of 75 take a mental competency test.
She pointed to the fact that the president had just made his secret trip to Ukraine.
How many 30-year-olds can travel to Poland, get on the train? Nine more hours to Ukraine, meet President (Volodymyr) Zelensky?’ she said. So, look at the man. Look what he’s doing. Look what he keeps doing every day.’
Jill Biden campaigned in Arizona in November 2022 with Senator Mark Kelly
Jill Biden is campaigning for her husband in the 2020 election
Lauren Wright, a professor of politics at Princeton, said there is a “major role” for Jill Biden in 2024.
“My research shows that spouses are generally less polarizing, more popular figures on the campaign trail, and can provide benefits that other surrogates can’t, such as outsider status and recognisability,” she said.
In 2022, she was the most requested White House surrogate to aid House and Senate candidates.
She led the crowd for Democratic Senator Mark Kelly in Arizona. A single fundraiser with Nancy Pelosi raised $1.6 million for House Democrats.
Democrats did better than expected in that election. They retained control of the Senate and held the Republicans to a majority of just five seats in the House of Representatives.
And in the 2020 presidential election, Jill Biden had her own campaign schedule and stops, proving she was a reliable campaigner for the Biden ticket.
She was known as the “closer,” wrapping up the Biden message and driving the crowd home after her husband spoke.
Jill Biden appeared at a fundraiser with speaker Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco in the 2022 election, which raised $1.6 million for House Democrats
Jill Biden often stands on the Truman balcony (as she is above in September 2021) watching her husband from Marine One disembark on the South Lawn
Jill Biden is often the hand on his elbow, guiding Joe Biden if he hangs around too long talking to supporters or reporters or if he’s just running late – as she did above in October 2020
In the White House, Jill Biden has carved her own path as first lady.
She continues her job as an English teacher at a community college in Northern Virginia, becoming the first modern first lady to work outside of administration.
But she balances that with her dedication to her own priorities, which include fighting cancer and helping military families.
She had her own health scare earlier this year. In January, she underwent Mohs surgery to remove cancerous lesions from each eyelid and her chest. She was later declared cancer free.