“She (Valerie Biden) has been my best friend my entire life.”
(Joe Biden in his autobiography, Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics.)
While everyone talks about the contribution of Jill Biden to the life of Joe Biden and how she can help the United States in making a better place, there is one unsung hero of Joe Biden’s journey to the White House, Valerie Biden Owens.
She is the only sister of Joe Biden. While most people don’t know her yet, her contributions to Biden’s presidential campaign helped Joe in winning the White House.
She is one of those ladies in the entire US who managed both the senate and presidential campaigns successfully. Let’s explore Valerie Biden’s biography and see how she helped Joe Biden in his political career.
Valerie Biden Biography:
The Unknown Years: Where the Struggle Started
Valerie Owens Biden was born on November 5, 1945, to a family of Irish Catholic background in Pennsylvania. Valerie Owens Biden’s siblings include:
- Joe Biden
- James Brian Biden
- Francis W. Biden
After getting her early education, she graduated from Ursuline Academy and the University of Delaware in 1967.
Valerie Biden Family:
Valerie Biden married Bruce Sanders after her graduation. However, this marriage did not last long, and both of them divorced.
After that, Valerie Biden married John T. Owens in 1975 when Joe Biden was also looking forward to marrying Jill Biden.
Read more: Untold Stories of Jill Biden: Things you never knew about Jill Biden.
Valerie Biden’s Children:
Valerie Biden’s children include
- Missy Owens
- Catherine Eugenia Owens
- Cuffe Biden Owens
Cuffe Biden Owens: An Attorney Son of Valerie Biden:
Cuffe Biden Owens is the son of Valerie Biden. He is an attorney by profession working in Beverly Hills, California. He did his graduation in 2002 from Georgetown University.
After that, he did his Juris Doctor, J.D. degree in 2009 to learn law from the University of Southern California.
Professional Career of Valerie Biden:
Her long professional career consists of her activities in the following capacities:
- Before coming into politics, Valerie Owens Biden was a teacher at Wilmington Friends School.
- She also worked in a media consulting firm, “Joe Slade Wide and Company,” for 19 years.
- Valerie Owens Biden worked in the Ministry of Caring, a service organization, for almost 35 years.
- She was also a member of their Board of Directors.
- Valerie Owens Biden helped women in developing political skills by working in Women’s Campaigns International.
- Resident fellow at Harvard Institute of Politics.
- Vice-Chair Biden Institute, University of Delaware.
- Vice-Chair of Biden Foundation.
Honorary Awards of Valerie Biden:
She won the following honorary awards in her life.
- Won Honorary Doctorate of Law from the University of Delaware in 2018.
- Honorary award of “Women Inspiring Change” Award in 2015
Valerie Biden’s Contribution to Joe Biden’s life:
If Joe Biden is president today, Valerie Owens Biden played a significant role in helping him to reach this powerful office.
Not only in the political career, but she also helped him in life. Let’s see how she helped him to make him the man he is today.
Contributions in Personal Life:
Joe Biden’s first wife died in a car crash in 1972. After that, Joe Biden was so shattered that he considered suicide. Valerie took care of Beau Biden and Hunter Biden, who were infants at the time of the death of their mother.
As both of them were left without a mother in 1972, the whole responsibility fell on the shoulders of Joe Biden. Valerie Owens Biden took that responsibility and raised Joe Biden‘s children until Joe Biden married Jill Biden in 1977, whose untold stories can make you her fan.
Valerie Biden’s Contribution to Joe Biden’s Political Life:
The whole of the political journey of Joe Biden has Valerie Biden in it. Joe Biden’s political career encompasses almost five decades.
There were many victories, many defeats; however, Valerie Biden was the one who was present to campaign for Joe Biden every time to swear him into the positions of power.
She, along with her first husband Bruce, ran the campaign for Joe Biden when he was running for the first time for the US Senate. As the results came, Joe Biden was elected as a Senator due to her untiring efforts.
This victory was just the beginning of Joe Biden’s political career and Valerie Owens Biden’s role in this career. She ran seven continuous election campaigns for Joe Biden, and due to her efforts, all of them ended in a victory.
Valerie Biden also helped Joe Biden in his two presidential campaigns. It is due to her efforts that Joe Biden is all set to be the 46th president of the United States.
Joe Biden also knows the efforts of her sister as he mentioned her in the victory speech recently in Delaware after the presidential elections.
“There was no infighting, there was no backstabbing, all of those things that bring down campaigns, because everyone knew there was no getting between Val and Joe.”
(Ted Kaufman, former United Senator and Biden’s close ally)
Undoubtedly, her help along the way helped Joe Biden not only in political life but also in personal life.
Eli is a Political Data Scientist with over thirty years of experience in Data Engineering, Analytics, and Digital Marketing. Eli uses his expertise to give the latest information and distinctive analysis on US Political News, US Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, and Racial Justice equipping readers with the inequivalent knowledge.