If Joe Biden runs, it'll likely be without Draft Biden.

Two sources familiar with the planning around Biden's potential presidential campaign say the vice president's team believes the existing super PAC — started in the spring by a few novices unknown to Biden's inner circle before several more experienced and closely connected operatives joined — should not become the vehicle to support a campaign.


That discussion was underway before an ad launched on the Web this week that used audio of Biden speaking about the deaths of his first wife and daughter in a car crash over a montage of family photos, including several of his late son Beau. The vice president has since said he wouldn't want the ad broadcast — a six-figure buy was planned, according to Draft Biden — and the group has said it will abide by that wish.

The vice president and the people advising him are weighing whether to start another super PAC instead, the sources said. A second option would be to mount a campaign without super PAC support, despite the massive financial disadvantage Biden faces should he enter the race with what would be a very late start.

Draft Biden has continued to build up donations, including $50,000 from Tim Gill and Scott Miller, who left the board of the pro-Clinton Correct the Record this week, and from Larry Rasky, a longtime Biden adviser who’s done a lot of fundraising over the years and has been working with the super PAC.

Rasky said the potential demise of Draft Biden is news to him: “Nobody has said a word of anything like that to me.''



But the vice president's aides already have put out word to at least some interested donors: If this is a go, Biden's likely to soon be asking for donations to another account. They also have been telling people interested in working on a campaign to think carefully about taking a job with Draft Biden.

According to those familiar with the planning, people working on Draft Biden could be offered positions in a new PAC or campaign if one comes together. Aside from some of the more experienced hands who’ve joined lately, including Josh Alcorn, Brad Bauman and Steve Schale (who’s working as an unpaid adviser), those likely would be for lower-level positions as they look to create a new structure, rather than rework the existing one that’s based in a shared office space in downtown Chicago.

“Nobody among the adults is thinking that what they’re suggesting is the wrong move,” said one person involved with Draft Biden. “Looking at this thing with fresh eyes seems like a good idea.”

Jim Kreindler, a bundler for Biden’s 2008 run who signed a letter of support for Draft Biden, said that he hasn’t heard anything about the group’s future. But he said he’ll go in whichever direction the vice president’s circle points him.

“I support Joe, and I love him,” Kreindler said. “For me, it’s very simple: whoever I’m supposed to make a check to, to help Joe, I’ll do.”

Draft Biden says it’s prepared to close up shop if that’s what the vice president wants.

“Draft Biden was conceived as a vehicle to help show the vice president that the American people would stand with him, should he choose to run,” said a Draft Biden spokesman. “By every metric, we have been successful in that goal. Whatever the vice president should choose to do over the next few weeks, we stand by him prepared to support him.”

The vice president's office declined to comment.

The situation around the super PAC highlights the political and financial hurdles Biden faces if he jumps in: Since he never started a leadership PAC after the 2012 election (a decision rooted in worries at the time that he'd look too political and focused on running for president, rather than serving in his current job), he has no bank account to draw on for even the first phase of a campaign. He's opposed on principle to how loose the campaign finance laws have become, and there's also a political advantage in being able to say that he's gone the Bernie Sanders, rather than Hillary Clinton, route in not relying on people who can write massive checks without much transparency.

He'd certainly need the money, though, and quickly. Although there are many advantages that come with running for president as a quasi-incumbent, paying for it wouldn't be easy. Between advance staff, Secret Service costs and travel on Air Force Two, each campaign day trip could run to tens of thousands of dollars, much of which would be billed to his campaign. A super PAC, which would be able to raise significantly more money, could cover some costs around events on the ground, but wouldn't be able to take care of the travel.

The time Biden would need to put into fundraising mixed with the cost of campaigning means that he'd likely have to maximize his time in donor-heavy spots like New York and California, which would limit his ability to campaign in early primary states. With just over 100 days until Iowa starts voting, that wouldn't leave much time for retail campaigning — arguably, one of Biden's greatest strengths against Clinton, especially among early state voters who expect a lot of personal contact.

Draft Biden staffers have been moving quickly to lock in donors and commitments from donors, with the hopes of making a big showing around the vice president’s possible announcement. They’ve already rolled out several notable financial supporters from previous Biden campaigns and from Obama’s two races, with hints that more are coming.

That’s all in addition to building a roughly 250,000-address email list and moving toward a goal of raising $2 million to $3 million.

Donors say whatever happens, Biden has no reason to be concerned about money if he runs.

“I believe strongly, based on evidence from a multiplicity of conversations, that the campaign will be properly resourced if the vice president decides to run,” said Louis Frillman, who also signed the Draft Biden letter with his wife, Carol. “And I have the same view of the PAC.”

Theodoric Meyer contributed to this report.