A disagreement with his fellow caucus members about the forthcoming presidential election led Minnesota Representative Dean Phillips to resign from his leadership position within the Democratic party.
Phillips (MN-03) announced on Sunday, October 1, that he is resigning from his position as co-chair of the Democratic Policy & Communications Caucus (DPCC), which he has held since the start of the 118th Congress on January 7, 2023.
Despite the fact that Phillips will still be a part of the Democratic Caucus, he stated in a statement that his “convictions regarding the 2024 presidential race are incongruent with those of the majority of my caucus, so I felt it appropriate to step set aside from elected leadership in order to avoid unneeded distractions during an important period for our country.”
When Phillips announced in July that he was in discussions about running for president in 2024, the news was big. Politico broke the news first, and Phillips later confirmed it. Phillips told Jana Shortal of KARE 11 that the item “resulted in a remarkable flood of encouragement.” He opted not to address the news further at the moment.
Then, in August, Phillips told the Star Tribune he had no plans to run for president, but he later appeared to change his mind in an interview with Steve Schmidt for his podcast “The Warning.”
“I’m considering it. Even while he acknowledged he doesn’t have the same level of name recognition as some other potential candidates, Phillips said on September 25 that he hasn’t ruled it out. However, I firmly believe and am convinced that having options and competition is crucial to democracy.
“I extend appreciation to my outstanding friends and colleagues for providing space and place for my perspectives,” Phillips said in his statement on October 1. “I celebrate Leader Jeffries for his remarkable & principled leadership.” “I’ll continue to hold fast to my principles, prioritize people before politics, and back our joint effort to bring security, opportunity, and prosperity to all Americans. Onward!”