FORMER VICE PRESIDENT Joe Biden has announced that he’s running as a candidate in the US presidential election in 2020.

The former Delaware senator announced his candidacy on Twitter this morning:

The core values of this nation… our standing in the world… our very democracy…everything that has made America — America –is at stake. That’s why today I’m announcing my candidacy for President of the United States. 

The tweet was accompanied by a three-and-a-half minute video, Biden said he couldn’t stand idly by while US President Donald Trump “fundamentally altered the character of this nation”.

Biden will be running against the Trump, who will be aiming for a second term in office.

Even before his official announcement, Biden, who served eight years as Barack Obama’s vice president, led most surveys of Democratic voters.

The RealClearPolitics poll aggregate puts him as favourite with 29.3% support, followed by independent Senator Bernie Sanders at 23%.

Laurita Blewitt, a fourth cousin of Joe Biden, told to Miriam O’Callaghan on RTÉ Radio One this morning that his presidential candidacy announcement was “just amazing”. 

She also said that they’re expecting Biden to visit them in Co Mayo this summer to open a hospice.

The former Vice President, hopefully now soon to be President, will be coming over this summer, is due to come over this summer and cut the ribbon and open that hospice for us.

- with reporting from © AFP 2019