ST PAUL, Minn. — Editor's note: The video above first aired on KARE 11 on July 28, 2023.
Minnesota Representative Dean Phillips has stepped down from his leadership position within the Democratic party, citing a difference in opinion from fellow caucus members toward the upcoming presidential race.
On Sunday, Oct. 1, Phillips (MN-03) said he's walking away from his elected role as co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Caucus (DPCC), a post he's held since the beginning of the 118th Congress on Jan. 7, 2023.
Though Phillips will remain a member of the Democratic Caucus, he said in a statement that his "convictions relative to the 2024 presidential race are incongruent with the majority of my caucus, and I felt it appropriate to step aside from elected leadership to avoid unnecessary distractions during a critical time for our country.”
In July, Phillips made headlines when he confirmed he was engaged in talks about a bid for the White House in 2024. The news was first reported by Politico and confirmed by Phillips, who told KARE 11's Jana Shortal the article "resulted in a remarkable flood of encouragement." At the time, he declined to comment on the news further.
Then in August, Phillips confirmed he wasn't planning a White House run in an interview with the Star Tribune, before apparently backtracking on that sentiment in an interview on Steve Schmidt's podcast "The Warning."
"I am thinking about it. I haven't ruled it out," Phillips said on Sept. 25, though he admitted he doesn't possess the national name recognition some other potential candidates do. "But I do feel strongly and I have a conviction that it's important to democracy to have choices, to have competition."
"I celebrate Leader Jeffries for his remarkable and principled leadership and extend gratitude to my outstanding friends and colleagues for having created space and place for my perspectives," Phillips continued in his Oct. 1 statement. "I’ll continue to abide by my convictions, place people over politics, and support our shared mission to deliver security, opportunity, and prosperity for all Americans. Onward!”
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