After finishing third in Tuesday’s Presidential Primary, Minnesota Third District Rep. Dean Phillips is ending his presidential campaign. He made the announcement Wednesday morning on the Chad Hartman Show on WCCO Radio, where he made his initial campaign announcement.
Phillips finished behind President Joe Biden and “uncommitted.”
“I ran for Congress in 2018 to resist Donald Trump, I was trapped in the Capitol in 2021 because of Donald Trump, and I ran for President in 2024 to resist Donald Trump again – because Americans were demanding an alternative, and democracy demands options,” Phillips wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “But it is clear that alternative is not me. And it is clear that Joe Biden is OUR candidate and OUR opportunity to demonstrate what type of country America is and intends to be.”
Phillips announced his intention to challenge Biden in late October. He publicly said Biden should not seek a second term in 2024 almost two years ago, and he confirmed to multiple media outlets on July 28 that he was taking meetings from people encouraging him to run, which was openly questioned by some Democrats.
Phillips had said in subsequent interviews that he was hoping to encourage other Democrats to challenge Biden. His effort to unseat Biden came as multiple polls showed the president with low approval ratings and concerns about his age.
While his campaign fizzled on Super Tuesday he took shots at candidates from both parties, as well as Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsome, who was one of the people he was hoping would take on Biden.
Congratulations to Joe Biden, Uncommitted, Marianne Williamson, and Nikki Haley for demonstrating more appeal to Democratic Party loyalists than me.
— Dean Phillips (@deanbphillips) March 6, 2024
From a self-awareness
professional. https://t.co/0BLPdsUEEf— Dean Phillips (@deanbphillips) March 6, 2024
Phillips, the first Jewish congressman to represent Minnesota, is currently in his third term representing the third district, which covers much of the West Metro, including Plymouth, Wayzata, Minnetonka, Bloomington and parts of Edina and Hopkins.
State Sen. Kelly Morrison – a childhood friend of Phillips – announced in early November that she was going to run for Phillips’ congressional seat.
Later in November, Phillips said he was not going to run for a fourth term. However, he can still decide to do so. Tuesday’s primary in Minnesota was only for the presidential race. The filing period for local, state, and congressional elections starts in late May and ends June 4, with the primary Aug. 13.
Phillips went on to thank those who supported him in his social media post before endorsing the Biden/Harris campaign.
“In light of the stark reality we face, I ask you join me in mobilizing, energizing, and doing everything you can to help keep a man of decency and integrity in the White House,” he said. “That’s Joe Biden.”
