Beau Biden Won't Seek Reelection, Eyes 2016 Run For Governor

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden's eldest son, Beau Biden, says he won't seek re-election as Delaware attorney general this year but plans to run for governor in 2016.

Biden, who underwent surgery at a Texas cancer center last year, announced his intentions in a statement issued Thursday.

The 45-year-old Biden had said previously that he would seek a third term as attorney general.

Biden, who suffered a mild stroke in 2010, was hospitalized last August after becoming weak and disoriented during an Indiana vacation.

He was later flown to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas, where doctors removed what was described as a small lesion.

Biden has refused to discuss his latest health scare, but the Texas center's head of neuro-oncology gave him "a clean bill of health" in November.

Below, a statement from Biden to his supporters on his decision:

For the past eight years, you have given me the privilege of serving as your Attorney General.

Thanks to a group of extraordinary professionals at the Department of Justice and their tireless work -- from protecting our children and getting criminals off the streets, to holding more accountable those responsible for the housing crisis -- I believe we have made Delaware a better place to live and to raise a family.

I’m proud of the work we’ve accomplished.

As your Attorney General I have done my best to remain true to the core values I believe define public service – honesty, integrity, and doing right by the people I serve.

Part of doing right by you is being straight with you about my future plans.

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. What started as a thought -- a very persistent thought -- has now become a course of action that I wish to pursue.

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.

Therefore, I am announcing today that I will not seek reelection as your Attorney General this November.

The Office of Attorney General is a four-year commitment. Its responsibilities are too significant, and the voters’ trust too important not to give it my complete and undivided attention. It should not be, nor can it become, a two-year staging ground for another elected office.

In the meantime, there’s a lot more work to do over the next eight months, and I intend to get it done. After my term is completed, I look forward to meeting with Delawareans and continuing to discuss my plans as a candidate for Governor.

Please know that the opportunity to serve you in this office is and always has been a tremendous honor.

Thank you for the faith you’ve placed in me.

This story has been updated with a statement from Biden.