The fundraiser was hosted by Gov. John Carney, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester and Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons. Other notable co-chairs included Wilmington philanthropist Tatiana Copeland and former Gov. Jack Markell. Attorney General Kathy Jennings was one of the co-hosts.

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Biden thanked the room for standing by him when his campaign had a “target” on its back early in its launch. He also noted the "great Republicans in this room," including former Republican challenger John Burris, who was in attendance, for his support.

“The way the African American community has stuck by me in this state is absolutely amazing,” Biden said.

“They sent the national press here,” he said. “And they actually sent a group of reporters, eight of them, and they were very, very hostile. New, young reporters who didn’t know much about me.”

Biden said the reporters then talked to residents throughout Delaware about his 40-year record.

“They said things like, ‘Oh, they like you. They support you,’” Biden said to the crowd’s laughter.

“You put in context the decisions that were being made,” he continued. “Cause a lot of the new, and totally understandable, reporters don’t have any idea what the context was, what things looked like here with busing … You all vouched for me and it made a gigantic difference.”

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The next president, Biden said, needs to be ready to “pull the country back together again” and rebuild its reputation.

“I know some of my opponents in the primary, and they’re all good people, say that’s naive,” he said. “But I refuse to accept the notion that we can’t unite this country.”

“I’m not running in spite of the fact that I’ve been around for a long time,” he said moments later. “I’m running because I’ve been around for a long time. I’m running because, because I think I know how to do this.”

Biden said he and his family are prepared for an “ugly” general election against the president. He told the story, like he has previously, about how, months before he announced his candidacy, his grandchildren urged him to run for president in a family meeting.

“This is going to be really difficult,” he said. “But we’re strong. The whole family is strong. I don’t take well to bullies.”

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