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On Oct. 27 — the last possible day to do so — Minnesota Representative Dean Phillips put his name on the presidential ballot.
Phillips, born and raised in St. Paul, heir to one of America’s largest liquor dynasties and one of the wealthiest representatives ever, became the first Democrat to represent Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District (comprising of cities Bloomington, Maple Grove, Minnetonka, Eden Prairie and Brooklyn Park as well as Anoka and Hennepin counties) in nearly 60 years when he defeated Republican incumbent Erik Paulson. First elected in 2018, Phillips has won re-election to Congress twice: In 2020, with 55.6 percent of the vote, and in 2022, with 60 percent of the vote.
Phillips is often described as a centrist or moderate Democrat. His legislative priorities, as listed on his website, include making healthcare more affordable, reducing gun violence, protecting female reproductive freedom, aiding small businesses and reducing veteran homelessness rates. Phillips has presented himself as a “fiscally responsible, socially inclusive” moderate focused on bipartisan cooperation.
Earlier in October, Phillips announced that he would step down as co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, a move that garnered much speculation about his rumored intentions to run for president. Phillips made it official later that month, delivering a first speech in New Hampshire at the deadline for the state’s primary.
A foremost consideration of Phillips is electability — specifically, President Biden’s age. Phillips, 54, is pitching himself as a more able alternative to Biden. Despite praising him in the past, Phillips believes Biden shouldn’t run again and has shared concerns with voters about Biden’s mental and physical fitness. “I think President Biden has done a spectacular job for our country,” Phillips said in an interview with CBS. “But it’s not about the past. This is an election about the future.”
Despite his challenge to Biden being widely perceived as a long shot, Phillips has vowed to invest as much of his fortune as it takes to win, telling Reuters that he would loan his campaign $2 million to fund his bid. Millions would go toward ads in primary states pivotal to the election, such as Michigan and New Hampshire.
During his little more than two-week campaign trail, Phillips has drawn harsh criticism from members of his own party, notably South Carolina Representative Jim Clyburn, who claimed that Phillips is disdaining the Black voters who helped Biden win. Should Phillips seek to run for his former position again in Minnesota, he would face multiple primary challengers, likely with less or entirely without funding from the party establishment.
So why put his future in politics on the line? Phillips revealed his motivation to CNN. “I think in 2020, [Biden] was probably the only Democrat who could have beaten Donald Trump. I think in 2024, he may be among the only ones that will lose to him. And that’s why I’m doing this,” he said.
