(Reuters) – In a surprising move, U.S. Representative Dean Phillips of Minnesota, announced on Friday that he will not seek reelection. The 54-year-old millionaire businessman and three-term congressman made headlines last month by declaring his long-shot bid to challenge President Joe Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Phillips cited the need for change and a promising future as the driving force behind his decision. In a post on social media, he linked to an interview in the Minnesota Star Tribune paper where he elaborated on his reasoning for withdrawing from the race.
Having first won his seat in 2018 and successfully defending it in 2020 and 2022, Phillips expressed that running for reelection would be “unproductive and uncomfortable” amidst his presidential nomination bid.
He warned that Democrats were at risk of facing a “disaster” in the upcoming November elections, with polls indicating Biden trailing behind Republican front runner Donald Trump in several crucial states.
Despite Phillips’ bold move, it is unlikely to significantly impact Biden’s chances of securing the party’s nomination, given the incumbent’s strong resources, official party support, and strategic reshaping of the party’s nominating contest calendar to discourage early challengers.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
