JOE BIDEN (pictured being sworn in as vice president in 2009) announced his run for the 2020 Democratic nomination on Thursday (US Navy photo).

Former vice president Joe Biden made his much-anticipated entrance into the 2020 Democratic presidential race on Thursday.

Biden, 76, launched his bid for the presidency using a Twitter post in which he said “We are in the battle for the soul of the nation. If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation – who we are. And I cannot stand by and watch that happen.”

He is now considered a front-runner for the nomination, along with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Although Biden has been slow to begin raising money, he is performing well in the polls.

Two surveys – one by Monmouth University and another by Reuters-Ispos – had Biden ahead of Sanders by four to seven percentage points among Democrats, A Politico/Morning Consult poll on Monday showed Biden ahead of President Trump by eight points, 42 percent to 34 percent.

The president responded to Biden’s announcement by calling him “Sleepy Joe” and invited him into the race.

Biden was originally from Pennsylvania but a most of his public service was as a senator from Delaware.