Dean Phillips 2024 presidential campaign
Campaign2024 United States presidential election (Democratic Party primaries)
CandidateDean Phillips
U.S. Representative from Minnesota (2019–present)
AnnouncedOctober 27, 2023
HeadquartersExcelsior, Minnesota
Key peopleSteve Schmidt (advisor)[1]
Alondra Cano[2]
SloganEveryone's Invited[3]
Make America Affordable Again[4]
Website
Official website

Dean Phillips, U.S. representative from Minnesota's 3rd congressional district, announced his campaign for the 2024 United States presidential election on October 27, 2023. With Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to run as an independent, he is the second major primary challenger to incumbent President Joe Biden along with Marianne Williamson. The campaign is considered a "long-shot" run due to Biden's high polling, fundraising numbers, support from the party establishment, and the power of incumbency.[5][6]

Background

In July 2023, Phillips said he was considering challenging President Joe Biden in the 2024 Democratic presidential primaries. He has been outspokenly against a non-competitive primary and believes the party should welcome a new generation of leadership.[7] 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.[8] He filed the paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on October 26.[9]

Campaign developments

Phillips made an official announcement for his candidacy on October 27 in Concord, New Hampshire.[3] Due to his late entry, he will not appear on the ballot in the Nevada primary, although he filed to make the New Hampshire ballot the day before the deadline.[10] He has been criticized by Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, as well as Representative Dina Titus, for skipping the state.[11] Representative Bennie Thompson called Phillips' decision to campaign in New Hampshire "'disrespectful' to voters of color",[12] while Jim Clyburn stated that Phillips was not "respecting the wishes of the ... head of our Party."[13]

On the day of the campaign launch, Phillips was asked by the The Daily Beast about receiving a donation from Harlan Crow, a major donor to the Republican Party and close friend with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, for his 2020 re-election. Phillips responded that he did not recall speaking with or meeting Crow.[14]

According to Steve Schmidt, Phillips' campaign advisor, the focus will be on the early primaries in New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Michigan.[3]

Disputes with DNC and state Democratic parties

Phillips has objected to being left off the primary ballots of several states by their respective Democratic parties, including in Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Phillips filed challenges with the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and these state parties and has stated that he is considering legal options to regain ballot access.[15] In these 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.[16]

The Florida Democratic Party'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 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".[17][18][19] 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.[20]

The Tennessee Democratic Party stated that it decided to only list Biden as an 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 on December 5, potentially overcoming the party decision.[15][16]

The North Carolina Democratic Party 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.[16]

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, regretting his previous disbelief towards Sanders's 2016 campaign's complaints of biased rules by the DNC governing the presidential primary.[21] When asked for comment, Sanders responded, "He's changed his views now that he's a candidate? I'm not getting involved in this."[22]

Criticism of Kamala Harris

In an interview with Mark Leibovich of The Atlantic on November 21, 2023, Phillips questioned the competency of vice president Kamala Harris should she succeed to the presidency. He says that while he has had "thoughtful" interactions with her, others have told him that "she is not well prepared, doesn't have the right disposition and the right competencies to execute that office." He also referenced Harris's approval ratings and poll numbers, which are lower than Biden's.[23] Phillips received pushback from Harris supporters, including his congressional colleagues Robert Garcia and Lisa Blunt Rochester; Garcia stated in a tweet that he should "keep the VP’s name out of his mouth and apologize." The next day, Phillips apologized to Harris on social media for referencing opinions of others in contrast with his personal experience.[24]

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 to attempt to strip the state of its first in the nation status.[25] Shurtleff stated in January 2023 that he would endorse a candidate other than Biden if this were to occur.[26]

Andrew Yang has consistently expressed support for Phillips' campaign since soon after its launch, and he is scheduled to co-host a campaign event with him in New Hampshire on January 18.[27]

In January 2024, billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman said that he was supporting Phillips, donating $1 million to his We Deserve Better campaign PAC.[28]

Political positions

Foreign policy

Israel–Hamas war

Phillips has criticized Biden's handling of the hostage crisis during the war between Israel and Hamas. In a November 2023 interview with Abby Phillip on CNN, he stated that he would not accept the ceasefire, which mandates the release of 50 hostages in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners in Israel 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.[29]

Healthcare

On December 20, 2023, Phillips signed on as a co-sponsor of the Medicare for All Act.[30] 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".[31] 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.[32]

References

  1. ↑ Stuart, Tessa (October 27, 2023). "The Man Who Brought You Sarah Palin Has a New Candidate: Dean Phillips". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  2. ↑ Woodall, Hunter (November 17, 2023). "Dean Phillips' new campaign hire supported dismantling Minneapolis Police Department after death of George Floyd". CBS News. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Schneider, Elena; Kashinsky, Lisa (October 27, 2023). "Biden camp plays it cool. But Dean Phillips' bid is on their radar". Politico. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  4. ↑ Ward, Ian (October 29, 2023). "55 Things You Need to Know About Dean Phillips". Politico. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  5. ↑ Lesniewski, Niels (October 26, 2023). "Rep. Dean Phillips launches long-shot primary challenge to Biden". Roll Call.
  6. ↑ Lee, Carol E.; Alba, Monica. "White House dismissive of Rep. Dean Phillips' long-shot Democratic primary bid". NBC News.
  7. ↑ Epstein, Reid J. (July 29, 2023). "Rep. Dean Phillips Says He Is Considering a Run Against Biden". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  8. ↑ Huynh, Anjali (October 2, 2023). "House Democrat Leaves Leadership Position After Teasing Run Against Biden". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  9. ↑ Otterbein, Holly; Schneider, Elena (October 26, 2023). "Rep. Dean Phillips files paperwork for presidential bid against Biden". Politico. Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  10. ↑ Gans, Jared (October 26, 2023). "Dean Phillips to file presidential bid in New Hampshire Friday". The Hill. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  11. ↑ Bernal, Rafael (October 27, 2023). "Nevada lawmakers slam Dean Phillips for snubbing the state". The Hill. Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  12. ↑ Vakil, Caroline; Daniels, Cheyanne (October 28, 2023). "Democrats voice concern, outrage over Phillips primary bid". The Hill. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  13. ↑ Daniels, Cheyanne (October 31, 2023). "Dean Phillips 'disappointed' in Clyburn criticism over New Hampshire primary". The Hill. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  14. ↑ Sollenberger, Roger; Lahut, Jake (October 27, 2023). "Biden's New Challenger Doesn't Remember GOP Megadonor Cash". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  15. 1 2 "Biden primary foe Phillips will challenge states where he missed ballot". Semafor. December 7, 2023.
  16. 1 2 3 "Biden's Democratic challengers hit ballot access roadblocks". ABC News. December 23, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Dean Phillips criticizes Florida Democrats for his absence from primary ballot". CNN. November 30, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Florida Democrats plan to cancel presidential primary, enraging Dean Phillips' campaign". Politico. November 30, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Dean Phillips, Florida Democrats clash over absence on primary ballot". The Hill. November 30, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Federal judge asked to place Dean Phillips on Florida primary ballot". Politico. December 11, 2023.
  21. ↑ Sforza, Lauren (November 9, 2023). "Phillips apologizes to Sanders for dismissing claims of 'rigged' Democratic primary system". The Hill. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  22. ↑ Metzger, Bryan (November 9, 2023). "Bernie Sanders scoffs at Dean Phillips's apology for dismissing his 'rigged' primary claims". Business Insider. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  23. ↑ Leibovich, Mark (November 22, 2023). "The 'Anti-Defeat' Candidate: 90 Minutes in a Van with Dean Phillips". The Atlantic. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  24. ↑ Chambers, Francesca (November 24, 2023). "'Cheap political points.' Dean Phillips under fire for saying Americans lack 'faith in' VP Harris". USA Today. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  25. ↑ Graham, Steven (October 31, 2023). "Former Biden NH Co-Chair Backs Phillips in FITN Primary". NH Journal. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  26. ↑ DeWitt, Ethan (January 31, 2023). "Ahead of DNC meeting, tensions mount over New Hampshire's political future". New Hampshire Bulletin.
  27. ↑ "Dean Phillips with Andrew Yang 'AI Forum' at UNH Manchester". NH Journal. January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  28. ↑ Lauren Sforza (January 14, 2024). "Billionaire mega-donor Bill Ackman to donate $1M to Biden challenger Dean Phillips". The Hill. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  29. ↑ Suter, Tara (November 22, 2023). "Dean Phillips hits Biden over handling of Hamas hostages: 'Absurd, shocking and dismaying'". The Hill. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  30. ↑ Irwin, Lauren (December 20, 2023). "Phillips endorsing 'Medicare for All' legislation". The Hill. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  31. ↑ Epstein, Reid J.; Stolberg, Sheryl Gay (December 20, 2023). "Dean Phillips, an upstart challenger to Biden, embraces 'Medicare for All'". The New York Times. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  32. ↑ Otterbein, Holly (December 20, 2023). "'Medicare for All' bill becomes part of Dean Phillips's presidential pitch". Politico. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
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