Democrats are seeking out Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota as a potential challenger to President Joe Biden in the 2024 primary, Politico reported Friday.
As concerns over Biden’s age and approval ratings and the effects of third-party candidates continue to mount, Democrats are looking for another contender to emerge, according to the report.
Phillips is meeting with Democratic donors in New York City next week to discuss a potential bid, which would come only if there was a serious decline in the president’s health or standing among the electorate.
Although he was described as a “moderate” by Politico, his campaign website lists “Women’s health and reproductive freedom,” “Gun violence prevention,” “Immigration reform,” “Diversity, equity, and inclusion” and “Climate action” among his priorities.
“Nobody wants to be the one to do something that would undermine the chances of a Democratic victory in 2024,” Phillips previously told Politico. “Yet in quiet rooms the conversation is just the opposite — we could be at a higher risk if this path is cleared.”
Along with Phillips’ support for a Democratic primary, donors are also eyeing him for a potential White House bid because of his criticism of the centrist organization No Labels for floating a third-party “unity ticket” in 2024, according to Politico.
Democrats are worried such a candidate would siphon more votes from Biden than the Republican nominee, leading to a potential second term for former President Donald Trump, the GOP front-runner.
“If No Labels runs a Joe Manchin against Donald Trump and Joe Biden, I think it will be a historic disaster,” Phillips told The New York Times in May. “And I speak for just about every moderate Democrat and frankly most of my moderate Republican friends.”
Biden’s approval rating currently sits at 38 percent, with 52 percent disapproving of the president, according to a Big Village CARAVAN poll conducted Monday through Wednesday.
Phillips was first elected to the House in 2018, beating his Republican opponent 55.6 percent to 44.2 percent, and he most recently secured reelection in 2022 by nearly 20 points, according to Ballotpedia.
Before entering politics, he was a businessman.
The RealClearPolitics average for the 2024 national Democratic primary, based on polls conducted between July 5 and July 20, indicates that Biden has 63.2 percent support, followed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Marianne Williamson with 13.7 percent and 5.3 percent, respectively.
Neither Phillips nor Biden immediately responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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