Who is Dean Phillips? The Democrat threatening Biden’s 2024 bid and ‘dividing’ party

While most polls show incumbent US President Joe Biden as an underdog in his anticipated contest against Republican ex-US President Donald Trump, another Democrat, Dean Phillips, from Minnesota is vowing to change the equation of the 2024 elections with his own presidential bid. In a recent interview, the Minnesota Congressman said “Joe Biden is one of the least well-positioned Democrats to take on this mission.”

How popular is Dean Phillips?

According to a poll released on January 9, Dean Phillips enjoys a meagre 7 per cent support among Democrats. Phillips has spent millions of dollars in his three-month-old presidential campaign, and now he hopes he might get up to “mid-twenties” support in Tuesday’s New Hampshire elections.

The 55-year-old Democrat is hopeful of wider support on Tuesday as Biden is not appearing on the primary ballot. The odd situation came as a result of the Democratic National Committee’s reshuffling of the party’s nominating schedule at Biden’s behest.

Response from fellow Democrats

Fellow Democrats have gone to great lengths to ridicule Dean Phillips and his presidential campaign. Some have accused him of disrespect and disloyalty and fretted that he is dividing the party. For instance, Rep. Robert Garcia (D., Calif.) told Axios that Phillips’s campaign was a “total joke” and said he had “torched his reputation.”

Not just that, in several states, including Florida, North Carolina and Tennessee, the state Democratic Party has refused to put Phillips on the primary ballot.

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"How can Democrats say we're fighting for democracy, we're fighting to make voting easier, and then yet removing me from the ballot in Florida and North Carolina? How can you say you are for free speech and protecting freedom and democracy and not even consent to doing one debate? How can you say this?" Phillips exclaimed during the interview.

“Democrats are doing something to democracy that I think is just as dangerous as the insurrection,” he added.

Dean Phillips considering alternative

On Saturday (Jan 20), Phillips said he might even consider running on the ticket of No Labels, a centrist group exploring an independent bid if there appears to be a potential rematch between Trump and Biden.

This possibility has alarmed many Democrats who fear that his parallel candidacy might siphon votes from Joe Biden, handing over an edge to Trump. “People are criticising them (No Labels) because they believe whomever they offer on their ticket will hurt Joe Biden,” Phillips said after a town hall event at a senior centre in Nashua, N.H.

“That’s false. If they put someone at the top of the ticket who could actually drive votes from Donald Trump, every Democrat in the United States of America should be celebrating it.”

(With inputs from agencies)