Vice President Joe Biden will not run for president in 2016

October 21, 2015 12:00 am • Last Updated: October 21, 2015 1:51 pm

By Josh Lederman, Associated Press

President Barack Obama watches as Vice President Joe Biden turns to his wife Dr. Jill Biden after announcing that he will not run for the presidential nomination, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo)

WASHINGTON — Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday he will not run for president in 2016.

Biden's decision finalizes the Democratic field of White House candidates and sets him on a glide path toward the end of his decades-long political career.

Biden had spent months deliberating with his family and political advisers about a potential late entry to the Democratic primary.

But he also said he might not be emotionally ready to run after his 46-year-old son Beau died of brain cancer in May.

Biden's decision bolsters Hillary Rodham Clinton's standing in the Democratic primary by sparing her a challenge from the popular vice president.

Vice President Joe Biden speaks as he takes part in a tribute to former Vice President Walter Mondale in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. (Molly Riley/AP Photo)

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