Biden Challenger Ends Campaign, Backs Biden After Super Tuesday Struggle
A Democratic member of Congress who waged a lonely primary battle against President Joe Biden is calling it quits.
Minnesota Rep. Dean Philips suspended his presidential campaign on Wednesday, after failing to gain traction in any of the Super Tuesday primary contests.
The long-shot candidate announced the end on a broadcast of the Minnesota WCCO-AM radio’s “The Chad Hartman Show,” according to NBC News.
Philips announced his endorsement of Biden as he dropped out.
“I’m going to suspend my campaign and I will be, right now, endorsing President Biden because the choices are so clear,” Philips said of the presidential campaign.
The announcement came on the same day former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley suspended her campaign for the Republican nomination against former President Donald Trump.
Phillips criticized Trump in his announcement.
“The alternative, Donald Trump, is a very dangerous, dangerous man,” he said, according to NBC.
“I would simply ask and invite and encourage Haley supporters, Trump supporters, uncommitted supporters to unify behind decency and integrity.”
Philips failed to rouse significant support in any of the early primary and caucus states, and didn’t secure a single delegate.
The three-term Minnesota congressman was willing to question the prospect of nominating Biden on the basis of his advanced age, an almost unheard-of position for a Democratic elected official.
“At that stage of life, it is impossible, ultimately, to conduct, to prosecute the office of the American presidency in the way that this country [and] the world needs right now,” Philips told Axios before the New Hampshire primary.
Philips did receive nearly 20 percent of the vote in that contest, according to CNN, although his showing wasn’t enough to secure any delegates.
President Joe Biden won the state overwhelmingly — as a write-in candidate.
Trump wins relatively easily as expected, but lol @ Marrianne Williamson. Also with how dean Philips is doing you sort of have to wonder how an actual established dem would have done, although new Hampshire was always going to be weaker for biden as he isn’t on the ballot pic.twitter.com/Ch3zZLYZK1
— john (@john12948833) January 24, 2024
The Democratic National Committee refused to schedule any primary debates, treating Biden as the party’s de facto nominee well before a single vote was counted.
Philips’ departure leaves Marianne Williamson as one of a handful of longer-than-long-shot candidates challenging the incumbent.
Another minor candidate, Jason Palmer of Baltimore, did secure a victory in the Democratic primary of American Samoa on Super Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.
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