Biden to attend fundraiser in Iowa, key 2016 state

[August 12, 2013]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- Vice President Joe Biden will head to Iowa next month to headline Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin's steak fry fundraiser, a key stop for aspiring presidential candidates.

The White House says Biden will speak at the Sept. 15 event. It's the latest in a string of Biden appearances with ties to critical states for primary candidates. The Iowa caucuses kick off the 2016 primary season.

Biden is also planning to raise money in Maine for the governor of New Hampshire, which holds the first primary, and spoke earlier this year in South Carolina, another early state. During inaugural weekend this year, he mingled with Democrats from Iowa and New Hampshire.

Biden hasn't closed the door to a third presidential campaign in 2016.

The New York Times first reported Biden's Iowa trip.

[Associated Press; By JOSH LEDERMAN]

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