Former President Joe Biden spent election day making congratulatory phone calls to Democrats who secured victories, according to a source familiar with his activities. Biden watched the election returns from his home in Wilmington, Delaware, a notable absence from the campaign trail during this election cycle.
Biden spoke with a number of Democrats who achieved significant wins, including Georgia Governor-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Ohio Governor-elect Amy Acton, Nevada Governor-elect Aaron Ford, and Illinois Senator-elect Juliana Stratton. He also called Scranton Mayor-turned-Congresswoman-elect Paige Cognetti, who flipped Pennsylvania's 8th House District.
The former president's absence from campaigning has been attributed to his ongoing battle with prostate cancer. Biden revealed his diagnosis in May of the previous year, and by August, his son Hunter Biden indicated in an interview that the cancer had spread to his father's bones, describing it as "very painful and it's very debilitating in many respects." Former First Lady Jill Biden has also stated that her husband will "live with cancer the rest of his life."
Despite his health challenges, Biden has continued to engage on issues important to him, according to his son. In the recent election cycle, former President Barack Obama was more active on the campaign trail, stumping for Democrats in key races across the country.
Obama's campaign efforts included appearances for Sherrod Brown in Cleveland and Abdul El-Sayed in Detroit, as well as rallies for Jon Ossoff and Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia. During his speeches, Obama criticized then-President Donald Trump's policies and White House renovations. The midterm elections ultimately saw Democrats achieve significant gains, capturing both chambers of Congress and flipping several Senate seats and House districts, marking a setback for Trump heading into the final years of his presidency.