CONCORD, N.H. (AP) 鈥 For months, Dean Phillips called for a Democratic primary challenge to President Joe Biden, drawing no public interest from governors, lawmakers, and other would-be alternatives.
The 54-year-old Minnesota congressman finally entered the race himself on Friday in an event outside New Hampshire's statehouse, saying, 鈥淚t is time for the torch to be passed to a new generation of American leaders.鈥
Phillips is highly unlikely to beat Biden. Still, his run offers a symbolic challenge to national Democrats trying to project the idea that there is no reason to doubt the president鈥檚 electability 鈥 even as many Americans question whether the 80-year-old Biden should serve another term.
He said in his speech that he would try to fix the economy and warned about high prices and 鈥渢he chaos at our border鈥 鈥 all issues that are potential vulnerabilities for Biden as he heads into a likely rematch against former President Donald Trump. And Phillips is trying to engage New Hampshire Democrats angry at Biden for on the 2024 Democratic primary calendar, noting that the state had historically been 鈥渇irst to vet presidential candidates like me."
Biden has long cast himself as uniquely qualified to beat again after his 2020 win, and top Democrats behind him for a future primary run.
His re-election campaign issued a statement Friday saying it was 鈥渉ard at work mobilizing the winning coalition that President Biden can uniquely bring together鈥 to beat Trump.
Though Biden won鈥檛 officially run in New Hampshire鈥檚 primary and will rely on a write-in campaign, the president is planning to head next week to Phillips鈥 home state for an official event and fundraiser.
Phillips has already missed the deadline to enter Nevada鈥檚 primary and is little known nationally. His campaign's account on X, formerly known as Twitter, was briefly suspended Friday before his launch. And shortly before Phillips spoke, the leader of his home state signed a fundraising pitch sent by the Biden campaign.
鈥淵ou know, I have to say this about Minnesota: it鈥檚 a great state, full of great people. And sometimes they do crazy things," wrote Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who added: "And sometimes 鈥 they make political side shows for themselves.鈥
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, who sits on Biden's reelection campaign鈥檚 , dubbed Phillips' bid an 鈥渁ttention-seeking stunt that is deeply insulting to Black voters and the coalition that saved our country from Donald Trump.鈥
鈥淭he stakes are too high in this election 鈥 especially for Black voters," Dickens said, to focus on a "vanity project rather than what鈥檚 best for our party and our country.鈥
But New Hampshire primary challenges have a history of wounding incumbent presidents.
In 1968, another Minnesotan, Democratic Sen. Eugene McCarthy, built his campaign around opposing the Vietnam War and finished second in New Hampshire鈥檚 primary, helping push President Lyndon Johnson into forgoing a second term. Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy's challenge of President Jimmy Carter and Pat Buchanan's run against President George H.W. Bush both failed, but Carter and Bush ultimately lost their reelection bids.
The state's influence on Democrats also was curtailed this year by changes engineered by the Democratic 春色直播 Committee at Biden's behest and was meant to better empower Black and minority voters.
A leading off presidential primary voting on Feb. 3 and Nevada going three days later. New Hampshire has refused to comply, citing state laws saying its primary must go first, and plans a primary before South Carolina鈥檚. The DNC could, in turn, strip the state of its nominating delegates.
Steve Shurtleff, a former speaker of the New Hampshire House, believes Phillips might appeal to some Democrats and independents who can choose to vote in the primary.
鈥淚鈥檓 disappointed that he and the DNC have tried to take away our primary,鈥 Shurtleff said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not that I want to see Joe lose. It鈥檚 that I want to see our primary win.鈥
But Terry Shumaker, a former DNC member from New Hampshire and longtime Biden supporter, said he expects the president to easily clinch the state as a write-in option. Shumaker recalled going door to door for McCarthy in 1968, but doesn鈥檛 see Phillips gaining similar traction.
鈥淚鈥檓 not aware of what his message is,鈥 he said. 鈥淭o do well in the New Hampshire primary, you have to have a message.鈥
There are no Democratic primary debates scheduled. The only other Democrat running in the 2024 primary is self-help author .
Phillips is heir to his stepfather鈥檚 Phillips Distilling Company empire. He once served as that company鈥檚 president but also ran the gelato maker Talenti. His grandmother was the late Pauline Phillips, better known as the advice columnist 鈥淒ear Abby.鈥
Driving a gelato truck was a centerpiece of his first House campaign in 2018, when Phillips unseated five-term Republican Erik Paulsen. While his district in mostly affluent greater Minneapolis has become more Democratic-leaning, Phillips has stressed that he is a moderate focused on his suburban constituents.
An found that the top words associated with Biden were 鈥渙ld鈥 and 鈥渃onfused." Nearly 70% of Democrats and 77% of U.S. adults said they thought Biden was too old to be effective for four more years. The same poll found that respondents most frequently described Trump as 鈥渃orrupt鈥 and 鈥渄ishonest."
Leslie Blanding, a retired teacher and Democrat from Bow, New Hampshire, said she did not know Phillips but was 鈥渢horoughly conflicted鈥 over whether Biden should face a primary challenger.
鈥淚 think Biden is too old. I think from the outset, he should鈥檝e been looking to groom someone to succeed him, and he didn鈥檛 do that,鈥 said Blanding, 75. 鈥淏ut I think he seems to be the only one positioned to have a strong chance of defeating Trump or whomever.鈥
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Weissert reported from Washington. AP 春色直播 Political Writer Steve Peoples in New York and Associated Press writer Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis contributed to this report.
