Joe Biden says Democratic candidate 'reminds me of my son Beau' while campaigning in close congressional race

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox

Get our free Inside Washington email

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

Former Vice President Joe Biden has compared Democratic candidate Conor Lamb to his late son Beau while campaigning for the Democratic nominee in a tight congressional race in Pennsylvania.

Mr Biden’s appearance on the campaign trail shows that Democrats are pulling out all the stops in their mission to recapture majorities in Congress. The special election on March 13 is being widely watched to see if it’s another sign that Democrats may sweep the midterm elections in November.

“He has the capacity to do what I’ve spent my whole life doing, and that is getting back working-class people supporting us again, because he cares about them,” Mr Biden said of Mr Lamb as he and the 33-year-old candidate shook hands at a union apprenticeship shop in the Pittsburgh suburbs, according to the Washington Post.

The ex-Vice President also paid Mr Lamb the ultimate compliment: “He reminds me of my son Beau.”

Beau Biden, an Iraq War veteran who served as Attorney General of Delaware, died of cancer in 2015, when his father was serving as Vice President to former Democratic President Barack Obama.

Mr Lamb is a Marine veteran and former prosecutor.

“I hope the Republicans find some candidates - even if it means we lose some races - who are cut from the same cloth,” Mr Biden said at an afternoon rally.

Mr Lamb was once considered a long-shot Democratic candidate. But a new poll this week showed him holding a slight lead over his Republican competitor, Rick Saccone, an ally of President Donald Trump.

Mr Saccone both outspent and out-polled his Mr Lamb in the first months of the race. However, Mr Lamb in February reported raising $3.3m in the latest filing period, compared to Mr Saccone’s $700,000.

The special election is being held to fill Pennsylvania’s 18th congressional district seat, which was left vacant by former Republican Representative Tim Murphy, who resigned in October.

Mr Trump won the southwestern Pennsylvania district by double digits in 2016. But the President’s antics and controversial policies, such as proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, appear to have Republicans concerned about the results of next week’s election.

Within hours of Mr Biden’s appearance, the National Republican Campaign Committee threw another $619,664 into the race, bringing its total ad buy to more than $3.5m, the Post reported.

On Saturday, Mr Trump will hold a rally for Mr Saccone, a state representative and former military intelligence officer.