closest Senate election in 1972, and Biden narrowly beat out Boggs by a little over three thousand votes, winning what would be his first of seven terms. Boggs, a longtime Delaware political figure, was considering retirement which would likely have led to a primary campaign between two Republicans, U.S. Representative Pete du Pont and Wilmington Mayor Harry G. Haskell Jr. To avoid the anticipated divisive primary fight, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon helped convince Boggs to run again with full party support. No other Democrat wanted to run against Boggs besides Biden. Biden's campaign had virtually no money and was given no chance of winning. It was managed by his sister Valerie Biden Owens (who would go on to manage his future campaigns as well) and staffed by other members of his family, and relied upon handed-out newsprint position papers. Biden did receive some assistance from the AFL–CIO and Democratic pollster Patrick Caddell. Biden's campaign issues focused on withdrawal from Vietnam, the environment, civil rights, mass transit, more equitable taxation, health care, the public's dissatisfaction with politics-as-usual, and "change". During the summer Biden trailed by almost 30 percentage points, but his energetic campaign, his attractive young family, and his ability to connect with voters' emotions gave the surging Biden an advantage over the ready-to-retire Boggs. Biden won the November 7, 1972, election in an upset by a margin of 3,162 votes. At the time of the election Biden was a little less than 30 years old; age 30 is a constitutional requirement for the U.S. Senate, and he reached that on November 20, in time for the Senate term beginning January 3. After his election he became the sixth-youngest senator in history. Georgia Seven-term Democrat Richard Russell Jr. died January 21, 1971, and Governor of Georgia Jimmy Carter appointed Democrat David H. Gambrell, the chair of the Georgia Democratic Party as interim senator, pending a special election. Sam Nunn, a Democratic member of the Georgia House of Representatives, won both the special and the regular elections. Nunn beat Gambrell in the August 29 special and regular primary run-off elections and he then beat Republican congressman Fletcher Thompson in the November 3 special and regular general elections. Georgia (special) Georgia (regular) Idaho The incumbent Republican Leonard B. Jordan retired, and was succeeded by James A. McClure. Illinois Incumbent Republican Charles H. Percy sought re-election. Percy was opposed by: Democratic nominee Roman