Rep. Dean Phillips Launches Campaign For Democratic Presidential Nomination

On Friday, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minnesota) declared his candidacy to challenge President Joe Biden, whom he has been criticizing for months, in New Hampshire’s Democratic primary.

He filed his paperwork on Friday morning, launching his long-shot bid against the president.

During a speech on his campaign bus in Concord, Phillips explained that he had a strong urge to challenge Biden, due to his worry that Biden would not win in a general election against former President Donald Trump.

He claimed that he attempted to persuade Biden to step aside and urged better-known Democratic candidates to run in the primary. However, when these endeavors didn’t succeed, he opted to run himself.

“It’s time for change. I’m hearing that all around the country,” he said.

Phillips claims that his decision was not self-centered. He said that he has been unsuccessful in finding suitable candidates and motivating the president to step aside, which is why he feels compelled to “serve” his country since it seems that Biden may not win the upcoming election.

The congressman, who stepped down from his leadership position in the House Democratic caucus because of his impending presidential bid, has been criticizing the president due to his low approval ratings for several months.

Phillips has decided to launch his own campaign at a time when Democrats are trying to rally behind Biden, fight off independent challengers and promote their achievements to voters.

Those close to Biden believe that talk of Phillips running will only divert attention from the president’s strengths and draw attention to his weaknesses.