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Dean Phillips Dean Benson Phillips ( Pfefer; born January 20, 1969) is an American politician, businessman, philanthropist, and former presidential candidate who served from 2019 to 2025 as the U.S. representative for . A member of the Democratic Party, Phi ...
, the U.S. representative from , announced his campaign for the
2024 United States presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 5, 2024. The Republican Party (United States), Republican Party's Ticket (election), ticket—Donald Trump, who was the 45th president of ...
on October 27, 2023. He was one of three major candidates who challenged incumbent President
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
in the 2024 Democratic primary, alongside environmental lawyer and activist
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. (born January 17, 1954), also known by his initials RFK Jr., is an American politician, environmental lawyer, author, conspiracy theorist, and anti-vaccine activist serving as the 26th United States secretary of heal ...
and author
Marianne Williamson Marianne Deborah Williamson (born July 8, 1952) is an American author, speaker, and political activist. She began her professional career as a spiritual leader of the Church of Today, a Unity Church in Warren, Michigan. Williamson has written s ...
. Phillips' campaign was considered to be a "long-shot" run by ''
Roll Call ''Roll Call'' is a newspaper and website published in Washington, D.C., United States, when the United States Congress is in session, reporting news of legislative and political maneuverings on Capitol Hill, as well as political coverage of c ...
'' and
NBC News NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Media Group, a division of NBCUniversal, which is itself a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's various operations r ...
. Phillips is generally considered a
moderate Moderate is an ideological category which entails centrist views on a liberal-conservative spectrum. It may also designate a rejection of radical or extreme views, especially in regard to politics and religion. Political position Canad ...
Democratic. Phillips argued during his campaign that president Biden would be a weak general election candidate due to his age and low approval ratings. Phillips campaigned as a younger alternative to Biden, who would be a stronger opponent to Trump. On December 23, 2023, Phillips argued that Biden should “thoughtfully exit” the 2024 race. In public, Phillips was ridiculed. In private, others in the Democratic Party shared his concerns. On March 6, 2024, Phillips suspended his campaign following
Super Tuesday Super Tuesday is the United States presidential primary election day in February or March when the greatest number of U.S. states hold primary elections and caucuses. Approximately one-third of all delegates to the presidential nominatin ...
. Phillips was the second-placed person in terms of awarded delegates in the 2024 Democratic Party presidential primaries. Four delegates to the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago were pledged to Phillips, compared to 3,896 for Biden and 36 to uncommitted. Phillips' delegates were gained from , , and congressional districts and
Logan County, Nebraska Logan County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 716. Its county seat is Stapleton, Nebraska, Stapleton. Logan County is part of the North Plat ...
.


Background

In July 2022, Phillips became the first incumbent Democratic member of Congress to say President Biden should not run for re-election and called for "generational change" pointing to Biden's age, adding that he believed political competition should be healthy. After the White House holiday party in December 2022, at which he believed the president’s decline was too graphic to ignore, Phillips was left with no doubt in his mind—Biden was unfit to serve a second term. In July 2023, Phillips said he was considering challenging President Joe Biden in the 2024 Democratic presidential primaries. Before launching his campaign, Phillips reportedly reached out to other elected Democratic officials, such as Governors
Gretchen Whitmer Gretchen Esther Whitmer (; born August 23, 1971) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 49th governor of Michigan since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, she served in the Michigan House of R ...
and
JB Pritzker Jay Robert Pritzker (born January 19, 1965) is an American businessman and politician serving since 2019 as the 43rd governor of Illinois. A member of the wealthy Pritzker family that owns the Hyatt hotel chain, Pritzker has started several vent ...
, to convince them to enter the presidential primary race to oppose Biden, but they declined to speak with him directly. In October 2023, he announced that he would step down as co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee because his views on the 2024 presidential race were incongruent with the majority of his caucus. Many elected Democrats in Congress urged Phillips not to launch a primary bid against Biden. He filed the paperwork with the
Federal Election Commission The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent agency of the United States government that enforces U.S. campaign finance laws and oversees U.S. federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Campaign ...
on October 26.


Campaign


Announcement

Phillips officially announced his candidacy on October 27, 2023 in
Concord, New Hampshire Concord () is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the county seat, seat of Merrimack County, New Hampshire, Merrimack County. As of the 2020 United States census the population was 43,976, making it the List of municipalities ...
. Phillips told
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
his entry into the race "was not about me,” but "my inability to attract other candidates, to inspire the president to recognize that it is time, compels me to serve my country because it appears that President Joe Biden is going to lose the next election.” On the day of the campaign launch, Phillips was asked by ''
The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...
'' about receiving a donation from
Harlan Crow Harlan Rogers Crow (born 1949) is an American-Kittitian real estate developer and conservative activist. He is the former chairman and CEO of the Trammell Crow Company, which was founded by his father, Trammell Crow. His father was described as t ...
, a major donor to the Republican Party and close friend of
Supreme Court Justice The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest-ranking judicial body in the United States. Its membership, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1869, consists of the chief justice of the United States and eight associate justices, any six of ...
Clarence Thomas Clarence Thomas (born June 23, 1948) is an American lawyer and jurist who has served since 1991 as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. President George H. W. Bush nominated him to succeed Thurgood Marshall. Afte ...
, for his 2020 re-election. Phillips responded that he did not recall speaking with or meeting Crow.


Staff and advisors

Phillips hired
Jeff Weaver Jeffrey Charles Weaver (born August 22, 1976) is an American former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher. During his career, he pitched for the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, St. Loui ...
, a top consultant for Bernie Sanders' presidential campaigns, as a senior strategist. His senior staff also included Zach Graumann, who had served as campaign manager on Andrew Yang's 2020 presidential campaign. Steve Schmidt, a former advisor to Senator
John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...
, aided with the campaign launch, but planned to leave the campaign to form an independent super PAC. Schmidt said the super PAC would support Phillips through advertising in
New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
,
South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
, and
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
. Schmidt stated regarding Phillips not being well-known was an asset, as he did not have years of “political stink on him” to overcome, and “you can get famous very fast in American politics."


Campaign events

In November 2023, the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences at
Dartmouth College Dartmouth College ( ) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the America ...
and the Dartmouth Political Union co-hosted a discussion with Phillips as part of their "Path to the Presidency" speaker series to discuss his campaign and policy positions. In New Hampshire, Phillips hit the campaign trail with a “Dean Phillips for President” bus, and his 1960 International Harvester milk truck, dubbed the “government repair truck,” made an appearance repainted with “Dean Phillips for President.” Phillips said his campaign depended on alternative media platforms to get his message across after being stonewalled by
MSNBC MSNBC is an American cable news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. Launched on July 15, 1996, and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, the channel primarily broadcasts r ...
and
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
, which haven’t afforded him an interview after providing a town hall for every Republican primary challenger to Trump. Phillips held several Southern California fundraisers, including one hosted in the home of television executive Adam Goodman, who previously served as president of
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
and DreamWorks SKG. On November 3, Phillips appeared as a guest on an episode of “
Real Time with Bill Maher ''Real Time with Bill Maher'' is an American television talk show that airs weekly on HBO, hosted by stand-up comedy, comedian and political satire, political satirist Bill Maher. Much like his previous series ''Politically Incorrect'' on Comedy ...
.” Comedian
Bill Maher William MaherStated on ''Finding Your Roots'', January 12, 2016, PBS; on a series that lists "Jr." and "Sr." distinctions, Bill Maher's birth name was listed simply as William Maher, while his father was William Aloysius Maher Jr., and his pa ...
lauded Phillips but stopped short of a full endorsement. On November 11, Phillips joined the Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway podcast for an interview. On November 17, Phillips joined the All-In podcast for an interview. On November 18, Phillips discussed the case for his campaign at the 2023 Blue Jamboree rally hosted by the
Charleston County Charleston County is located in the U.S. state of South Carolina along the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 408,235, making it the List of counties in South Carolina, third-mos ...
Democratic Party in
South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
. On November 30, Phillips visited the
Pod Save America ''Pod Save America'' is an American Progressivism in the United States, progressive political podcast developed and distributed by Crooked Media. The podcast debuted in January 2017 and airs twice per week, hosted by a rotating cast of former B ...
studio to discuss his run against Biden in the Democratic primary. On December 8, Phillips met with voters at a veterans' home in
Tilton, New Hampshire Tilton is a New England town, town on the Winnipesaukee River in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,962 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 3,567 at the 2010 census. It includes the village of Til ...
and at a town hall in
Exeter, New Hampshire Exeter is a New England town, town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. Its population was 16,049 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county ...
. During an X Spaces forum, Phillips said that, in his first 100 days as president, he intends to build "the most extraordinary bipartisan cabinet in American history." As for other first 100-day priorities, Phillips also said he intended to use “
zero-based budgeting Zero-based budgeting (ZBB) is a budgeting method that requires all expenses to be justified and approved in each new budget period. It was developed by Peter Pyhrr in the 1970s. This budgeting method analyzes an organization's needs and costs by ...
” and hire an international consulting firm to conduct a “top-down assessment” of the federal government. During a January trip to New Hampshire, Phillips remarked that he found both the city of Washington D.C. and the reluctance of his fellow Democrats to call on Biden not to run again to be distastefully insular and partisan. On January 12, Phillips made a guest appearance on ''
The Breakfast Club ''The Breakfast Club'' is a 1985 American independent teen coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes. The ensemble cast includes Emilio Estevez, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ring ...
'' radio show. On January 15, Phillips was interviewed by the Fung Brothers on their
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
channel. On January 18, Phillips held campaign events in Manchester and Hanover, New Hampshire, with 2020 Democratic Primary presidential candidate
Andrew Yang Andrew Yang (born January 13, 1975) is an American businessman, attorney, lobbyist, political commentator, and author. He founded the political party and action committee Forward Party (United States), Forward Party in 2021, for which he serves ...
. On January 20, Phillips was a guest on the Modern Wisdom podcast with Chris Williamson to discuss his campaign. On January 22, Phillips met with voters at a meeting of a
Rotary Club Rotary International is one of the largest Service club, service organizations in the world. The self-declared mission of Rotary, as stated on its website, is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, go ...
in
Nashua, New Hampshire Nashua () is a city in southern New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 91,322, the second-largest in northern New England after nearby Manchester, New Hampshire, Manchester. It is on ...
. On January 27, President Biden and Phillips spoke about their bids for the Democratic Nomination at the South Carolina Democratic Party's First-in-the-Nation Celebration dinner in Columbia, South Carolina. In February, Phillips announced layoffs to a lot of his staff members and also canceled his plans to campaign in
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
.


Criticism of Joe Biden

On December 14, 2023, during an appearance on “ Meet the Press NOW,” Phillips criticized Biden's candidacy, stating that “The president is not a threat to democracy, but running and suppressing other candidates is a threat when you are behind in the polls, like he is.” Phillips also added, “He's a good man and someone I respect. But this delusion that he can win is a threat to democracy.” In January 2024, Phillips told ''
Axios Axios commonly refers to: * Axios (river), a river that runs through Greece and North Macedonia * ''Axios'' (website), an American news and information website Axios may also refer to: Brands and enterprises * Axios, a brand of suspension produ ...
'' that he thought it would be "impossible" for Biden to do the job of president for four more years, remarking that "At that stage of life, it is impossible ultimately to conduct, to prosecute the office of the American presidency in the way that this country in the world needs right now. That is an absolute truth." Phillips insisted throughout his campaign that the Democratic Party had become "delusional" for thinking that Biden could defeat former President Trump in a rematch.


Ballot access disputes with DNC and state Democratic parties

Phillips filed his candidacy to make the New Hampshire ballot on the last day candidates were able to file. Representative
Bennie Thompson Bennie Gordon Thompson (born January 28, 1948) is an American politician and educator serving as the U.S. representative for since 1993. A member of the Democratic Party, Thompson served as the chair of the Committee on Homeland Security fro ...
called Phillips' decision to campaign in New Hampshire, rather than South Carolina, "disrespectful" to voters of color," while then-House Assistant Democratic Leader
Jim Clyburn James Enos Clyburn (born July 21, 1940) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for . First elected in 1992, Clyburn is in his 17th term, representing a congressional district that includes most of the majority-black precinc ...
stated that Phillips was not "respecting the wishes of the titular head of our Party." Due to his late entry, Phillips missed the deadline to file for the Nevada primary. He was criticized by Nevada Senator
Catherine Cortez Masto Catherine Marie Cortez Masto (born March 29, 1964) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from Nevada, a seat she has held since 2017. A member of the Democratic Pa ...
, as well as Representative
Dina Titus Alice Constandina "Dina" Titus ( ; born May 23, 1950) is an American politician who has been the United States representative for since 2013. She served as the U.S. representative for from 2009 to 2011, when she was defeated by Joe Heck. Titus i ...
, for skipping the state. Phillips objected to being left off the primary ballots of several states by their respective Democratic parties, including in
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
,
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
, and
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
. Phillips filed challenges with the
Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the principal executive leadership board of the United States's Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. According to the party charter, it has "general responsibility for the affairs of the ...
(DNC) and those state parties and stated he was considering legal options to regain ballot access. In those states, there is no explicit filing process with the state Democratic parties to be placed on the ballot, only assumptions that campaigns would correspond with state parties to obtain ballot access for primaries. Phillips said that the DNC's letter stating that New Hampshire's presidential primary was 'meaningless' and not to seat any delegates to the convention based on the results was, “one of the most egregious affronts to democracy that I’ve ever seen in my entire lifetime as an American, period.” The
Florida Democratic Party The Florida Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Florida, headquartered in Tallahassee. Former commissioner of agriculture Nikki Fried is the current chair. Andrew Jackson, the first territorial go ...
's executive committee voted to cancel their primary at the end of October 2023 and declare Biden the winner ahead of a November 30 filing deadline, saying that they had not heard from Biden's challengers. Phillips criticized the cancelled primary as "intentional disenfranchisement" and a "blatant act of electoral corruption". Phillip's campaign showed
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
copies of two letters that it had sent on November 7 to the Florida Democratic Party while the Florida Democratic Party said that it had not heard from them until November 22, while acknowledging that "there's no requirement for presidential candidates to do anything to get on the ballot". Under Florida law, state parties are allowed to decide who to include on their primary ballots. An independent, third party lawsuit has been filed against the Florida Democratic Party in order to include candidates other than Biden. In his statement to ''Politico'', when Phillips called the handling of the primary process by the Florida Democrats a “blatant act of electoral corruption” he then demanded Biden “condemn and immediately address” it. He also said, “Americans would expect the absence of democracy in
Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...
, not
Tallahassee Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of and the only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2024, the est ...
. The intentional disenfranchisement of voters runs counter to everything for which our Democratic Party and country stand. Our mission as Democrats is to defeat authoritarians, not become them.”
Andrew Yang Andrew Yang (born January 13, 1975) is an American businessman, attorney, lobbyist, political commentator, and author. He founded the political party and action committee Forward Party (United States), Forward Party in 2021, for which he serves ...
who was assisting Phillips' cause told
ABC News ABC News most commonly refers to: * ABC News (Australia), a national news service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation * ABC News (United States), a news-gathering and broadcasting division of the American Broadcasting Company ABC News may a ...
, "What's happening in Florida is important -- do we live in a democracy or not? If the Democrats can simply cancel their own primaries they should change their name to something else." The
Tennessee Democratic Party The Tennessee Democratic Party (TNDP) is the affiliate of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in Tennessee. The party was founded in 1826 initially as the Jacksonian democracy, Jacksonian Party. The Tennessee Democratic Party w ...
decided to list only Biden as a ballot option for its primary after a November 11 meeting, where they affirmed that Biden's campaign was the only one that had reached out that could be properly vetted before their deadline. Phillips has challenged their decision by submitting over 3,000 signatures in a petition to the
Tennessee Secretary of State The Tennessee Secretary of State is an office created by the Tennessee State Constitution. The Secretary of State is responsible for many of the administrative aspects of the operation of the state government of Tennessee. The current Secretar ...
on December 5, potentially overcoming the party decision. The
North Carolina Democratic Party The North Carolina Democratic Party (NCDP) is the North Carolina affiliate of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. It is headquartered in the historic Goodwin House, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, Raleigh. The party contr ...
acknowledged receiving requests for ballot access from Phillips and other candidates, but chose to only include Biden for its primary, stating that other candidates failed to meet standards for inclusion, such as media recognition and advocacy, having a donor base, and active campaigning in the state. The
Democratic Party of Wisconsin The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is currently headed by chair Ben Wikler. Important issues for the state party include support for workers and unions, strong public edu ...
left Phillips off the ballot; he appealed to the
Wisconsin Supreme Court The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the Supreme court, highest and final court of appeals in the state judicial system of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. In addition to hearing appeals of lower Wisconsin court decisions, the Wisconsin Supreme Court also ...
on January 26, 2024. The court unanimously ruled on February 2 that Phillips should be included on the ballot. On November 9, 2023, asserting that his campaign was hampered by ballot access policies and a lack of candidate debates, Phillips issued an apology to
Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...
, regretting his previous disbelief towards Sanders's 2016 campaign's complaints of biased rules by the DNC governing the presidential primary. When asked for comment, Sanders responded, "He's changed his views now that he's a candidate? I'm not getting involved in this." Phillips argued that the Democratic establishment was choking off his challenge because it couldn't accept that ‘Biden is going to get creamed’ by Trump in November. Phillips told the ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...
'' that, “Those who endeavor to have the audacity to practice democracy as I have are excommunicated. There lies the biggest risk to democracy: When people with different perspectives… go against their party, we now live in an era where that not only is not welcomed but it results in banishment.” Phillips accused representatives of the Biden campaign of using access to pressure liberal media outlets into
blackballing Blackballing is a rejection in a traditional form of secret ballot, where a white ball or ballot constitutes a vote in support and a black ball signifies opposition. The system is commonly used where an organization's rules provide that one or tw ...
and not platforming him. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' reported that during his campaign, Phillips found himself “ deplatformed,” taken off the ballot in some states, and rarely invited on television to make his case. Phillips said that, “I don’t know how to better articulate these efforts than, yes, a threat to democracy by undermining it and suppressing it”. Phillips also accused the Democratic National Committee of actively obstructing Democrats and Independents from ballot access — “bleeding campaigns dry” by handing out lawsuits against non-incumbent candidates and "absurd signature requirements."


Criticism of Kamala Harris

In November 2023, Phillips questioned the competency of
vice president A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...
should she succeed to the presidency. He said while every interaction he'd had with her had been "thoughtful" interactions, others had told him "she's not well positioned, well prepared, of the right disposition, of the right competencies to execute that office." He also referenced Harris's approval ratings were lower than Biden's. Phillips received pushback from Harris supporters, including his congressional colleagues Robert Garcia and
Lisa Blunt Rochester Lisa LaTrelle Blunt Rochester (née Blunt; born February 10, 1962) is an American politician serving since 2025 as the junior United States senator from Delaware. From 2017 to 2025, she served as the U.S. representative for . A member of the ...
. The next day, Phillips apologized to Harris on social media for referencing opinions of others in contrast with his personal experience. In late October 2024, Phillips expressed his concern that the Harris campaign's focus on Trump, rather than her positive message, would result in a losing campaign, writing that “A billion dollars will have been wasted on losing voters by condemnation versus winning them by invitation. She just needed to be clear about what she believes, what she will do differently than Biden, and offer common sense solutions to our problems."


Debates and forums

On December 6, 2023, TYT Network hosted a forum featuring Democratic primary candidates Williamson, Phillips and Uygur. Biden was invited but declined to attend. The candidates responded to the GOP debate being held in
Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal Plain, Gulf Coastal and Piedmont (United States), Piedm ...
, which was scheduled to end at the same time. The discussion was moderated by John Iadarola, the main host of '' The Damage Report'' on the same network. On January 8, 2024, Phillips participated in a debate against
Marianne Williamson Marianne Deborah Williamson (born July 8, 1952) is an American author, speaker, and political activist. She began her professional career as a spiritual leader of the Church of Today, a Unity Church in Warren, Michigan. Williamson has written s ...
hosted by
New England College New England College (NEC) is a private liberal arts college in Henniker, New Hampshire. It is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. As of fall 2020, the college enrolled 4,327 students (1,776 undergraduate and 2,551 grad ...
in
Manchester, New Hampshire Manchester is the List of municipalities in New Hampshire, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Located on the banks of the Merrimack River, it had a population of 115,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Manches ...
. To qualify, candidates needed to be registered on the New Hampshire primary ballot and poll at more than five percent. The debate was broadcast on
satellite radio Satellite radio is defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)'s ITU Radio Regulations (RR) as a '' broadcasting-satellite service''. The satellite's signals are broadcast nationwide, across a much wider geographical area than te ...
by
Sirius XM Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting corporation headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. The company was formed by the 2008 merge ...
and was moderated by Josh McElveen, who was the former political director of
WMUR WMUR-TV (channel 9) is a television station licensed to Manchester, New Hampshire, United States, serving as the ABC affiliate to most of New Hampshire. Owned by Hearst Television, the station maintains studios on South Commercial Street in do ...
. On January 12, 2024,
NewsNation NewsNation is an American cable news network owned by Nexstar Media Group. Known for most of its history as Superstation WGN before becoming WGN America in 2008, it relaunched on March 1, 2021, as a cable news network named after its flagship n ...
hosted a forum featuring Phillips and other Democratic presidential candidates. Biden was invited but did not attend. The discussion was moderated by
Dan Abrams Daniel Abrams (born May 20, 1966) is an American media entrepreneur, television host, and author. He is currently the host of '' On Patrol: Live'' on Reelz, and ''The Dan Abrams Show: Where Politics Meets The Law'' on SiriusXM's P.O.T.U.S. ch ...
. On January 19, 2024, Phillips was part of a forum held at the Artisan Hotel in Tuscan Village,
Salem, New Hampshire Salem is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 30,089 at the 2020 census and an estimated 30,647 in 2022. Salem is a northern suburb of Boston located on Interstate 93. As the first town along I-93 north ...
. It was hosted by the
Rotary Club Rotary International is one of the largest Service club, service organizations in the world. The self-declared mission of Rotary, as stated on its website, is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, go ...
and the Southern New Hampshire Chamber of Commerce.


Primary results

Phillips received 19.9% of the vote in
New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
, a state that awarded no delegates due to violating calendaring rules, coming in second behind a write-in campaign for Joe Biden. There were no delegates at stake in the New Hampshire primary because the Democratic National Committee said state party officials violated national party rules by scheduling its contest earlier than allowed. Phillips received only trifling support in
South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
(1.7%) and
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
(2.7%) and was not on the ballot in Nevada. On February 4, 2024, after his loss in South Carolina, Phillips vowed to remain in the race as "a mission of principle". On Super Tuesday, Phillips came in third to
Marianne Williamson Marianne Deborah Williamson (born July 8, 1952) is an American author, speaker, and political activist. She began her professional career as a spiritual leader of the Church of Today, a Unity Church in Warren, Michigan. Williamson has written s ...
or uncommitted in most other states. In the Maine Democratic presidential primary, Phillips received 7.1% of the total vote cast. In the Utah Democratic presidential primary, Phillips received 4.5% of the vote. In Phillips' home state of
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, he received 7.8% of the vote, and came in third behind Biden and uncommitted. Three delegates were awarded from
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
, and one delegate was awarded from
Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
. In the 2024 Ohio Democratic presidential primary, Phillips received 12.9% of the total vote and over 15% of the vote in three of the state's congressional districts. He received the most votes of any candidate in
Logan County Logan County is the name of ten current counties and one former county in the United States: * Logan County, Arkansas * Logan County, Colorado * Logan County, Idaho (1889–1895) * Logan County, Illinois * Logan County, Kansas * Logan County ...
,
Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
, with 55.6% of the vote. Based on the Nebraska Democratic presidential primary results where Phillips received 9.8% of the total vote, one Dean Phillips delegate represented Madison County at the Nebraska Democratic State Convention that was held in
Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...
on June 7–9. In the Oklahoma Democratic presidential primary, Philips received a plurality in
Cimarron County Cimarron County is the westernmost County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its county seat is Boise City, Oklahoma, Boise City. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2020 census, its population was 2,296, making it the le ...
. In the Missouri Democratic presidential primary, Phillips tied with Biden in
Clark County Clark County may refer to: *Clark County, Arkansas *Clark County, Idaho *Clark County, Illinois *Clark County, Indiana *Clark County, Kansas *Clark County, Kentucky *Clark County, Missouri *Clark County, Nevada, containing Las Vegas *Clark County, ...
. In the Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, Phillips received 6.4% of the total votes cast, with 69,765 votes. In the South Dakota Democratic presidential primary, Phillips received 9.6% of the vote. In the California Democratic presidential primary, Phillips received 2.8% of the total votes cast, with 100,284 votes. Phillips earned a total of 529,486 votes in the Democratic presidential primary. Phillips finished as the second-place person in terms of delegates to the Democratic National Convention. Four delegates to the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago have been awarded to him.


Endorsements

Phillips received his first endorsement from New Hampshire state representative Steve Shurtleff, who stated his main reason for doing so was Biden allowing the
Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the principal executive leadership board of the United States's Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. According to the party charter, it has "general responsibility for the affairs of the ...
to attempt to strip the state of its first in the nation status. Shurtleff stated in January 2023 that he would endorse a candidate other than Biden if this were to occur. Phillips also received an endorsement from Tom Schamberg, New Hampshire state representative from the 4th district, Merrimack.
Andrew Yang Andrew Yang (born January 13, 1975) is an American businessman, attorney, lobbyist, political commentator, and author. He founded the political party and action committee Forward Party (United States), Forward Party in 2021, for which he serves ...
expressed support for Phillips's campaign soon after its launch, and co-hosted a campaign event with Phillips in New Hampshire. In January 2024, billionaire hedge fund manager
Bill Ackman William Albert Ackman (born May 11, 1966) is an American billionaire hedge fund manager who is the founder and chief executive officer of Pershing Square Capital Management, a hedge fund management company. His investment approach has made him ...
said that he was supporting Phillips' campaign, donating $1 million to his We Deserve Better campaign PAC. More notable individuals that endorsed Phillips are angel investor and podcaster
Jason Calacanis Jason McCabe Calacanis (born November 28, 1970) is a podcaster, American Internet entrepreneur, angel investor, and author. His first company was part of the Dot-com bubble, dot-com era in New York. His second venture, Weblogs, Inc., a publishi ...
, son of
Vinod Khosla Vinod Khosla (born 28 January 1955) is an Indian-American billionaire businessman and venture capitalist. He is a co-founder of Sun Microsystems and the founder of Khosla Ventures. Khosla made his wealth from early venture capital investments ...
and CEO of Curai Health Neal Khosla, entrepreneur and philanthropist
Jed McCaleb Jed McCaleb is an American programmer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is the founder, chairman and ex-CEO of aerospace startup Vast and a co-founder and the CTO of Stellar. Prior to co-founding Stellar, McCaleb founded and served as the C ...
, and CEO of Galaxy Investment Partners
Michael Novogratz Michael Edward Novogratz (born November 26, 1964) is an American investor, formerly of the investment firm Fortress Investment Group. He is currently CEO of Galaxy Investment Partners which focuses on investments in cryptocurrency. Early life R ...
. Phillips received endorsements from the editorial boards of the ''
New Hampshire Union Leader The ''New Hampshire Union Leader'' is a daily newspaper from Manchester, the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. On Saturdays, it publishes as the ''New Hampshire Sunday News.'' Founded in 1863, the paper was best known for the ...
'', '' Conway Daily Sun'', and ''
The Detroit News ''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United S ...
''.


Political positions


Foreign policy


Israel–Palestine

Phillips is pro-Israel. He supports a
two-state solution The two-state solution is a proposed approach to resolving the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, by creating two states on the territory of the former Mandatory Palestine. It is often contrasted with the one-state solution, which is the esta ...
and has criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opposition to Palestinian statehood. Phillips has defended Israel against accusations of apartheid. Phillips has criticized Biden's handling of the
hostage crisis A hostage is a person seized by an abductor in order to compel another party, one which places a high value on the liberty, well-being and safety of the person seized—such as a relative, employer, law enforcement, or government—to act, o ...
during the
Gaza war The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...
. In a November 2023 interview with
Abby Phillip Abigail Daniella Phillip (born November 25, 1988) is an American CNN news anchor who anchors '' CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip'' and CNN Saturday Morning Table for Five. She previously worked for ''Politico'' covering the Obama White House, '' ...
on
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
, he stated that he would not accept the
ceasefire A ceasefire (also known as a truce), also spelled cease-fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions often due to mediation by a third party. Ceasefires may b ...
, which mandates the release of 50 hostages in exchange for 150
Palestinian prisoners in Israel The future of Palestinians detained by Israel in the context of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict is considered central to progress in the Israeli–Palestinian peace process. Cases of prison sentences include the charges of terrorism or being a ...
during a four-day break in fighting. Phillips called it "absurd, shocking, and dismaying" that American hostages are still being held in Gaza, stating he would not agree to the deal unless "every single American citizen" was released.


Ukraine-Russia

Phillips cheered President Biden's October 19, 2023, call for the continued support of funding for Ukraine in its war against Russia.


Domestic policy


Abortion

Philips is
pro-choice Abortion-rights movements, also self-styled as pro-choice movements, are movements that advocate for legal access to induced abortion services, including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their ...
and said that he is "angered and devastated" by the overturning of ''
Roe v. Wade ''Roe v. Wade'', 410 U.S. 113 (1973),. was a List of landmark court decisions in the United States, landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protected the right to have an ...
''. Phillips is a member of the Pro-Choice Caucus in Congress. In 2021, the
Planned Parenthood Action Fund The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is an American nonprofit organization
endorsed Phillips's re-election bid to Congress. After Roe v. Wade was overturned, he supported bills to protect women's reproductive rights, including HR 8297 and HR 8111, which aim to ensure access to abortion and reproductive health care across states, and HR 3755.


Artificial intelligence

Phillips pledged that if elected president, he would establish a “Department of AI” to ensure the nation is prepared to deal with the development of AI.


Campaign finance reform

On May 10, 2022, Phillips received an A+ on the anti-corruption and voting rights scorecard from
End Citizens United End Citizens United (ECU) is a political action committee in the United States. The organization works to reverse the U.S. Supreme Court's 2010 decision in ''Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission'', which deregulated limits on independen ...
for "rejecting corporate PAC money and supporting once-in-a-generation anti-corruption and voting rights legislation."


Cannabis

Phillips pledged, if elected President, he'd "immediately" work toward legalizing cannabis at the federal level. Phillips has had a consistent record of cannabis reform advocacy in Congress, championing bills like the MORE Act and the
SAFE Banking Act The SAFE Banking Act, officially H.R. 1595, full title Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Act, also referred to as the SAFE Banking Act of 2019, and as of 2023 the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act, is proposed legislatio ...
.


Climate action

Phillips has been a prominent proponent of legislative measures aimed at reducing
greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities intensify the greenhouse effect. This contributes to climate change. Carbon dioxide (), from burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, oil, and natural gas, is the main cause of climate chan ...
, addressing the impacts of climate change, and fostering the development of more resilient communities in Congress. Furthermore, he has displayed his support for and contributed his vote to the climate investments integrated within the Inflation Reduction Act. Phillips co-sponsored HR 2307, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, and HR 8395, the EPA Regulatory Authority Act of 2022. The
Sierra Club The Sierra Club is an American environmental organization with chapters in all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded in 1892, in San Francisco, by preservationist John Muir. A product of the Pro ...
endorsed Phillips's re-election bid to Congress for his environmental advocacy.


Congressional stock trading ban

Phillips does not support members of Congress trading stocks while in office. In 2021, Phillips co-sponsored the TRUST in Congress Act requiring lawmakers, their spouses, and dependent children to place assets in a
blind trust A blind trust is a trust in which the beneficiaries have no knowledge of the holdings of the trust, and no right to intervene in their handling. In a blind trust, the trustees ( fiduciaries, or those who have been given power of attorney) have f ...
while they're in office.


Equity and restorative justice

Phillips is a member of the
Congressional Equality Caucus The Congressional Equality Caucus, formerly the Congressional LGBTQ+ Caucus, was formed by openly gay representatives Tammy Baldwin and Barney Frank on June 4, 2008, to advance LGBT+ rights. The caucus is chaired by the most senior openly ...
in Congress.


Healthcare

On December 20, 2023, Phillips signed on as a co-sponsor of the
Medicare for All Act The Medicare for All Act (abbreviated M4A), also known as the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act or United States National Health Care Act, is a bill first introduced in the United States House of Representatives by Representative John ...
. This marked a departure from his earlier position on healthcare; he said that he had previously been "convinced through propaganda that single-payer healthcare was a nonsensical leftist notion". He cited a confluence of factors that shifted his view in support of Medicare for All, including his experience caring for his daughter who had been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, the financial strain of providing health insurance to his employees as a business owner, and the dynamics of representing a congressional district which included the headquarters of UnitedHealth Group as well as many residents who struggled to access healthcare.


Immigration

Phillips advocates for a comprehensive approach to immigration reform, including a streamlined procedure for individuals seeking lawful entry into the country. Phillips proposed changing the U.S. asylum process by filing cases in migrants’ countries of origin. Phillips supports a pathway to citizenship for "those here now" and for "children of undocumented immigrants.”


Jobs and the economy

Phillips has a diverse business development and oversight background, encompassing experience with start-ups and progressive advancement within his family-owned enterprise, Phillips Distilling Company, Phillips Distilling. His journey culminated in assuming the leadership of the organization. Phillips subsequently played a key role in the development of Talenti Gelato. Phillips campaign slogan is “Make America Affordable Again,” which is a play both on former President Donald Trump's political movement and high voter dissatisfaction with the economy, especially with inflation and sustained high prices. Phillips expressed that he wants to modify the tax code to allow families to deduct their childcare expenses, raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, and make housing an all-hands-on-deck priority. Phillips pledged that, “as president he would not be letting an Senate Parliamentarian, unelected bureaucrat in the Senate decide whether people are going to get a higher minimum wage or not.” Phillips has said that he wants to work in a bipartisan fashion and create a committee to recommend "balanced action" to support entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare. Also, Phillips supports targeting student debt aid to help those with the "greatest need" and making college more affordable.


Public safety

Phillips championed the Pathways to Policing Act, which aimed to provide funding to enhance officer recruitment efforts. Phillips voted to mandate background checks on every firearm sale, including sales online and at gun shows. Also, he has said that Red flag law, red-flag laws "work." In 2018, the gun safety organization Giffords, founded by former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, Gabrielle Giffords, endorsed Phillips in the race for Minnesota's 3rd congressional district. In a statement, Giffords praised Phillips for his commitment to cut ties between Congress and special interests, particularly the gun lobby. In 2020, Phillips received an endorsement from Brady: United Against Gun Violence for working across party lines to pass needed gun violence prevention bills.


Public education

Phillips is a cosponsor of the IDEA Full Funding Act. This legislation aimed to finally ensure Congress fulfills its commitment to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Phillips has expressed that he supports intensive mentoring programs for new teachers.


Term limits for Congress and the Supreme Court

Phillips has advocated for an 18-year term limit in the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Supreme Court.


Suspension of campaign

In January, Phillips was asked during a press gaggle if he would run as a third-party candidate if he lost the primary. Phillips stated that "under no condition" would he run as a third-party candidate. Pressured to answer if he would dissuade others from running third party, Phillips told reporters they weren't focused on the issues Americans care about, like the economy, inflation, health care, Social Security, homelessness, and education. On March 6, 2024, following losses on Super Tuesday, Phillips suspended his campaign and endorsed Joe Biden. In the Super Tuesday contests, Phillips failed to make inroads among the thousands of Democratic primary voters who signaled their openness to an alternative to President Biden. After the endorsement, President Biden called Phillips on the phone. Phillips said the two “had a wonderful conversation” that ended in an invitation to discuss the state of the 2024 race at the White House. Also, following Phillips’ exit from the presidential race, Biden thanked Phillips on social media for his “kind words” and welcomed him to the team, saying, “We need you with us.” After dropping out of the race, Phillips blamed the national political parties, the media, and “apathetic” voters for his campaign's failure, and continued to warn that a Biden-Trump rematch would result in a loss for Democrats. Additionally, Phillips expressed surprise at the strength of the Two-party system#United States, two-party system, and said it had resulted in “a decreasing focus on the country and an increasing focus on winning.” In reflecting on his campaign, Phillips said, “I had a network of donors who could have financially supported the campaign, but most of them were too scared to touch it. If you want to maintain your access to power, you have every incentive not to speak up.” On July 11, 2024, Phillips received an apology from Jermaine Johnson (basketball), Jermaine Johnson, a Democratic State Representative from Richland County, South Carolina, on behalf of the individuals who criticized, ignored, and shunned him despite not being one of them himself. On July 19, Phillips received an apology from D.J. Tice, an opinion columnist for the ''Minnesota Star Tribune'', for his self-described past snide coverage of Phillips' presidential campaign.


Aftermath


Continued calls for Biden to drop out

Asked to comment on Biden's performance in the 2024 Joe Biden–Donald Trump presidential debate, first presidential debate on June 27, 2024, Phillips responded: "Mahatma Gandhi, Gandhi said to speak only when it improves upon the silence." ''Politico'' reported after the first presidential debate that a former senior Biden White House official said, “No Labels and Dean Phillips won this debate,” referring to the outsider efforts to push a different candidate, not named Trump or Biden, into the race. On July 21, Phillips urged House and Senate Democrats to hold an "immediate vote of confidence" by secret ballot. He suggested if "confidence" won, Democrats would commit to aggressively mobilizing behind Biden, but Biden must end his candidacy if "no confidence" won. Despite claiming that he still endorsed Biden, Phillips also stated “it is time to step aside and turn this over to a new generation.” Biden would ultimately Withdrawal of Joe Biden from the 2024 United States presidential election, withdraw from the election later that day.


Endorsement of Kamala Harris

The day after Biden announced his withdrawal, Phillips endorsed Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination. However, Phillips advocated for a process to hear from alternative candidates. Phillips suggested a straw poll of delegates ahead of the Democratic National Convention to determine the party's top four presidential contenders, followed by four Town hall meeting, town halls where candidates would outline their platforms ahead of a vote for the nominee at the convention. Ultimately, no one challenged Harris for the nomination; Phillips expressed his disappointment in a lack of competition.


Post-Biden withdrawal

After Biden's withdrawal, Phillips explained that his intention had always been to encourage Biden to "pass the torch" and step aside in favor of a new generation of leadership. Phillips told the ''Minnesota Star Tribune:'' “If people write anything, I just hope that they might write if [Biden] had debated me then and he had been on one stage, unscripted, with a national audience, and he demonstrated that decline then, this would have been very different circumstances.” Phillips noted that after Biden's withdrawal, some of his colleagues better understood why he ran. At the Democratic National Convention, Phillips told ''Politico'' he felt his mission was accomplished with Harris as the nominee, saying “I was trying to be a Paul Revere, not a George Washington.” Phillips was given credit for his early questioning of Biden's bid for reelection by the lead Washington anchor for
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
Jake Tapper, research director of the American Economic Liberties Project Matt Stoller, Matt Stroller, editorial page writer Barton Swaim for ''The Wall Street Journal'', journalist Jack Shafer, entrepreneur David O. Sacks, former U.S. Senator from Minnesota Norm Coleman, former Team USA's gold medal men's coach for curling at the Winter Olympics Phill Drobnick, and political commentator Tim Miller (political strategist), Tim Miller. Additionally in July 2024, Kenneth Baer, an Barack Obama, Obama administration official and former Deputy Director of Speechwriting for Al Gore, called for Phillips to keynote the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Democratic convention. On August 17, 2024, an opinion column in the ''Duluth News Tribune'' argued that "the Democratic Party owes Dean Phillips an apology." Phillips was a superdelegate to the 2024 Democratic National Convention.


Post-election

After the presidential election, Phillips was asked by a journalist Shannon Bream if he felt overlooked by his party this year over the course of the campaign and election, to which he responded, “My voice, yes, was ignored, but tens of millions of Americans’ voices were ignored and suppressed and disenfranchised.” In an interview with the ''The Nation, Nation'' after the election, Phillips said, “My run wasn't about me. It was about having a legitimate, invitational, competitive, spirited primary. That means debate. And had there been other candidates on a primary stage, I'm almost certain that Americans, at least Democratic primary voters, would have selected someone in a better position to ultimately beat the most dangerous Republican candidate of our lifetime.” The ''HuffPost'' reported that after the election, Phillips said of his White House bid, “I would do it a thousand times again.” And he continued, “My only regret — and it's a big one — is that so many of my colleagues who felt exactly the same way couldn't find the courage to say and do something about it.” In an interview with WCCO-TV, CBS News Minnesota, regarding being the only Democrat in Congress who challenged Biden in the primaries, Phillips said, “If this is vindication it sure doesn't feel that good. And what I have told so many is that I am not a savant. I didn't see anything that others weren't seeing in Washington and around the country. I was just willing to say something about it.”


Praise of campaign

On December 28, 2024, ''Politico'' asserted that Phillips was right about Biden's re-election campaign, and that his decision to launch a primary challenge proved prescient after Biden's disastrous debate with Trump. On the same day, ''The Guardian'' also reported that Phillips is “saddened” to be vindicated by the accuracy of his prediction at the time that the outgoing president could not win re-election. Since Donald Trump won the 2024 United States presidential election, 2024 presidential election, many political commentators gave Phillips credit for his early questioning of Biden's bid for reelection, including ''New York Times'' columnists Michelle Cottle and Bret Stephens, ''Politico’s'' politics bureau chief and senior political columnist Jonathan Martin (journalist), Jonathan Martin, journalist James Surowiecki, founder and editor-in-chief of ''The Lever'' David Sirota, Democratic political strategist Jessica Tarlov, political commentator Mark Halperin, former Chief Political Analyst for
NBC News NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Media Group, a division of NBCUniversal, which is itself a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's various operations r ...
Chuck Todd, former
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
political reporter Chris Cillizza, comedian Jon Stewart, radio co-host of ''
The Breakfast Club ''The Breakfast Club'' is a 1985 American independent teen coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes. The ensemble cast includes Emilio Estevez, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ring ...
'' Charlamagne tha God, the editorial board at The Wall Street Journal, weekly columnist for the ''Washington Post'' Marc Thiessen, historian Talmage Boston, national affairs correspondent for ''The Nation Magazine, The Nation'' magazine Jeet Heer, the Minnesota editor for Patch Media William Bornhoft, journalist Michael C. Moynihan, senior editor for ''Reason (magazine), Reason'' and co-host of ''The Hill (newspaper), The Hill's'' web news commentary series program Rising (web series), Rising Robby Soave, Boston media commentator Sue O'Connell, journalist Ken Klippenstein, columnist on the ''Minnesota Star Tribune'' editorial board Rochelle Olson, and chief political reporter for KSTP-TV Tom Hauser. Phillips was listed by ''Mother Jones (magazine), Mother Jones'' as a "Hero of 2024" for what they called his "protest campaign." Phillips also received praise for his early warnings from U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), former U.S. Representative Tim Roemer (D-IN), former U.S. Representative Joe Cunningham (American politician), Joe Cunningham (D-SC), and former U.S. Representative John Delaney (Maryland politician), John Delaney (D-MD). ''The Washington Free Beacon'' speculated if whether Phillips could be the frontrunner in 2028 for the Democratic nomination for president due to challenging Biden in the primaries, and journalist Robby Soave even advised Democrats to "get behind Dean Phillips for president in 2028".


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Dean 2023 establishments in the United States 2024 disestablishments in the United States 2024 Democratic Party (United States) presidential campaigns