Dean Phillips is a billionaire and one of the richest members of the House of Representatives. Before entering politics, he inherited the Phillips alcohol company, which produces vodka and brandy, from his stepfather. He also founded the ice cream company Talenti gelato.
During his 2018 campaign for the House of Representatives, Phillips drove an ice cream truck. He then defeated Republican Eric Paulson, who was running for a fifth term in the district. Since then, Phillips has twice defeated Republicans for re-election in his district.
Phillips announced his decision by posting a short video online. In the video, he says, “We have some problems… We’re going to rebuild this economy and we’re going to rebuild America.”
Experts call Phillips’ plan risky and believe the Minnesota Democrat is unlikely to overtake the incumbent president in the race. At the same time, according to opinion polls, 80-year-old Biden’s chances of winning the next election also raise concerns due to his age.
Phillips held a campaign event in Concord, New Hampshire, and filed to run in the primary for that state’s secretary of state’s office.
Phillips is a little-known politician nationally and already missed the filing deadline for Nevada’s Democratic primary. Still, Democrats are wary of any challenge to Biden, which could complicate the fight against likely Republican nominee Donald Trump.
“I’ve known Dean for 10 years. He is a friend of mine, a man I deeply respect and admire, but I have deep differences with him on this issue,” Minnesota Democratic Party Chairman Ken Martin said of Phillips’ nomination.
“It doesn’t make sense to me that he would spend all of his political capital, frankly all of his political capital, on a wild goose chase that won’t lead to him becoming president of the United States,” Martin added.
