For Biden, third time's the charm in seeking presidency

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Fox News projects Biden to defeat Trump, become 46th president after winning Nevada, Pennsylvania

Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum compare the Biden and Trump campaigns.

After a half-century in elective politics and three presidential bids, Joe Biden has finally won the White House.

The Fox News Decision Desk projected on Saturday that the Democratic nominee will win the state of Nevada and the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, giving the former vice president the electoral votes he needs to defeat President Trump and capture the presidency.

ELECTION 2020 LIVE UPDATES: FOX NEWS PROJECTS BIDEN WINS PRESIDENCY

"I am honored and humbled by the trust the American people have placed in me and in Vice President-elect Harris," Biden said in a statement. "In the face of unprecedented obstacles, a record number of Americans voted. Proving once again, that democracy beats deep in the heart of America."

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks Friday, Nov. 6, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Biden was able to succeed where his past bids for the White House fell far short.

HOW JOE BIDEN WON THE PRESIDENCY

Biden, who turns 78 this month, first won elective office in 1970 as a councilor in New Castle County, Delaware. Two years later, at age 29, he upset a Republican incumbent to win election to the Senate. While Biden was easily reelected six times to his Senate seat, he was far from successful when it came to his national ambitions.

After mulling bids in 1980 and 1984, Biden launched his first presidential run in the 1988 cycle. But rocked by controversies that he had plagiarized a speech by British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock and other allegations that he had exaggerated his academic record, he ended his candidacy months before the start of the primary and caucus calendar.

Twenty years later, Biden launched a second campaign for president.

But overshadowed by fellow Sens. Barack Obama of Illinois and Hillary Clinton of New York, Biden’s bid never gained traction. After coming in a disappointing fifth in the Iowa caucuses, he dropped out of the race in January of 2008. That summer, then-Democratic presidential nominee Obama named Biden as his running mate, and in November the two defeated GOP nominee Sen. John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Biden, as vice president, passed on a White House run five years ago, as he reeled from the death of his eldest son, Beau. A year later, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton narrowly lost numerous key battleground states to Donald Trump due in part to a drop in support from White working-class voters as well as a lack of enthusiasm from Black and Latino voters.

BIDEN TRANSITION TEAM'S WORK UNDERWAY

The former vice president launched his third White House bid in April of last year – and after defeating the largest and most diverse presidential primary field in American history – and succeeding where Clinton failed in the traditional working-class Rust Belt states, the third time was the charm for Biden.