It’s official, democratic presidential contender Barack Obama has chosen Delaware senator Joe Biden as his running mate.

The choice brings a congressional icon into Obama’s run for the White House.

Biden, 65, has served in the U.S. Senate for more than 30 years.

News of the Obama-Biden ticket was released in the early morning hours by the Obama campaign website via text messages and emails to supporters, and became official later in the afternoon on a stage in Springfield, Illinois.

Speaking before a crowd of more than 35,000 who had gathered for the announcement, Obama said, “Joe won’t just make a good Vice President – he will make a great one,” and continued later, “Now, with Joe Biden at my side, I am confident that we can take this country in a new direction; that we are ready to overcome the adversity of the last eight years; that we won’t just win this election in November, we’ll restore that fair shot at your dreams that is at the core of who Joe Biden and I are as people, and what America is as a nation.”

Biden took the stage after Obama, telling the crowd “Folks, Barack and I come from very different places, but we share a common story. An American story.” He continued, “This is no ordinary election. And this may be our last chance to reclaim the America we love, to restore America’s soul.”

The next stop for the Obama-Biden ticket will be the Democratic National Convention, which starts Monday in Denver, Colorado. Biden is slated to take the podium on the third night of the convention.