 Incumbent Senator Ted Kaufman of Greenville, who served as Biden's chief of staff and as a member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors before being appointed to this seat, announced from the time of his appointment that he did not intend to be a candidate in the special election.Former Lieutenant Governor John Carney of Wilmington let his name be considered during the appointment process, but then announced his candidacy for the House seat held by Castle.State Attorney General Beau Biden of Wilmington was reportedly considered for the appointment to his father's Senate seat, but the Vice President's son was in the process of deploying to the Iraq War with the Delaware National Guard and said he would not accept any appointment.