On Monday night, President Joe Biden will bid a poignant farewell to the Democratic National Convention, introduced by his youngest daughter, Ashley Biden, who has been a steadfast supporter throughout his political journey.
Ashley, who has largely stayed out of the limelight compared to her siblings and mother, has been an advocate for her father’s causes since her childhood. Born in June 1981, she is the only daughter of Joe Biden and his second wife, Jill. According to her mother, Ashley developed a close relationship with her older half-brothers, Beau and Hunter, who often took her along on their adventures.
From an early age, Ashley was passionate about animal rights, voicing concerns to her father about dolphins being caught in fishing nets. This concern inspired then-Senator Biden to introduce the 1990 Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act, which mandated that tuna products be labeled as dolphin-safe.
Ashley graduated with a degree in cultural anthropology from Tulane University in 2003 and worked as a social worker in Philadelphia and at the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families. She earned her master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 2010 and married physician Dr. Howard Krein two years later.
Throughout her father’s political career, Ashley often accompanied him during campaigns and significant events, including a private meeting with Pope Francis in 2016. In 2012, she began working with the Delaware Center for Justice, focusing on initiatives against gun violence and gang activities, eventually becoming the executive director. She stepped down from the nonprofit in 2019 to support her father’s presidential campaign, actively promoting his policies to voters and engaging with them via social media.
During this campaign period, Ashley faced a personal challenge when two individuals in Florida stole a diary she had mistakenly left behind in September 2020 and sold it to the right-wing group Project Veritas. The perpetrators, Aimee Harris and Robert Kurlander, both pleaded guilty to charges related to the theft, with Harris receiving a one-month prison sentence earlier this year.
After her father’s election to the presidency, Ashley remained closely involved with the Biden family, joining them on various official trips, including a visit to France for the D-Day commemorations. She was present in the Oval Office when her father announced he would not seek reelection, showing an emotional response as she hugged him after the speech.