Rep. Dean Phillips is challenging President Joe Biden for the Democrat’s presidential nomination.
Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) said on Nov. 24 that he will not seek another term in the U.S. House of Representatives, in an announcement that came several weeks after he launched a challenge to President Joe Biden.
Mr. Phillips, 54, said in a statement that his seven years in office has presented “historic opportunities to practice a brand of optimistic politics that repairs relationships and improves people’s lives.”
He wrote, “We have met those moments, and after three terms, it is time to pass the torch.”
Mr. Phillips has helped lead the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus in the House and has helped craft legislation that received bipartisan approval, including a law signed by former President Donald Trump during the COVID-19 pandemic that enabled small business owners to more easily access federal funds.
Mr. Phillips launched a presidential bid in October, saying that he thinks President Trump would triumph over President Biden in the upcoming election if the men receive nominations from their respective parties.
“It’s imperative we have another option to consider before it’s too late,” he says on his campaign website.
In his announcement speech, Mr. Phillips said he aimed to address problems such as rising costs and healthcare access.
“I am ready to lead our great nation to a secure and a more prosperous future,” he said at the time. “I do so not in opposition to President Biden, who has my affection and my gratitude, but rather with two core convictions: That I am the Democratic candidate who can win the 2024 election and second, it is time for the torch to be passed to a new generation of American leaders.”
Mr. Phillips was the first Democrat in an elected office to announce a challenge to President Biden.
President Biden has low approval ratings, and some surveys from battleground states have shown President Trump polling ahead of the incumbent.
By Zachary Stieber
