Dean Phillips facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dean Phillips
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Official portrait, 2021
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| Co-Chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2023 – October 1, 2024 Serving with Veronica Escobar and Lauren Underwood
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| Leader | Hakeem Jeffries |
| Preceded by | Debbie Dingell Matt Cartwright Ted Lieu |
| Succeeded by | Lori Trahan |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota's 3rd district |
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| In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Erik Paulsen |
| Succeeded by | Kelly Morrison |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Dean Benson Pfefer
January 20, 1969 Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
Karin Einisman
(m. 1995; div. 2015)Annalise Glick
(m. 2019; div. 2024) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Pauline Phillips (grandmother) Eppie Lederer (great aunt) |
| Education | Brown University (BA) University of Minnesota (MBA) |
Dean Benson Phillips, born on January 20, 1969, is an American politician and businessman. He served as a U.S. representative for Minnesota's 3rd district from 2019 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, Phillips was also a presidential candidate in 2024.
Before entering politics, Phillips worked in the food and beverage industry. He was the head of his family's business, Phillips Distilling Company. He also co-owned popular brands like Talenti Gelato and Belvedere Vodka, and a coffee shop chain called Penny's.
Phillips was first elected to Congress in 2018. He won against a Republican who had held the seat for a long time. He was the first Democrat to win that seat in 60 years. He was reelected twice. In November 2023, Phillips decided not to run for another term in Congress.
In 2024, Phillips challenged President Joe Biden for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. He ran a campaign focused on bringing younger leadership to the country. He received four delegates, which was the second-highest number among all candidates in the primaries, making him the runner-up to Biden.
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Early Life and Business Career
Dean Phillips was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1969. His father passed away in the Vietnam War when Dean was very young. Later, his mother married Eddie Phillips, whose mother was the famous advice columnist Pauline Phillips, also known as Dear Abby. Eddie adopted Dean, and Dean took the last name Phillips. He was raised in the Jewish faith.
In the early 1970s, Phillips moved to Edina. He went to The Blake School. In 1989, he worked as an intern for Senator Patrick Leahy, which later inspired him to serve the public. Phillips attended Brown University and graduated in 1991.
After college, Phillips worked for a bicycle equipment company. Then, he joined his family's business, Phillips Distilling Company, where he worked in different roles like sales and marketing. He earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Minnesota in 2000. After that, he became the president and CEO of the company.
Phillips later sold Belvedere Vodka. He also helped create new types of products, like organic vodka and flavored whiskey. In 2012, he became chairman of Talenti gelato until it was sold in 2014. Phillips also served on the board of Allina Health, a large healthcare system in Minnesota. He also helped lead the We Day organization, which encourages students to volunteer.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Phillips was encouraged to run for Congress by Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party chairman Ken Martin. Many people worked hard to help him get elected.
Elections for Congress
2018 Election
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In 2018, Dean Phillips ran for the United States House of Representatives in Minnesota's 3rd district. He won the Democratic primary election with 81.6% of the votes. In the main election, Phillips defeated the Republican who was already in office, Erik Paulsen, with 55.6% of the votes. When he started his term in 2019, he became the first Democrat to hold this seat since 1961.
2020 Election
Phillips ran for reelection in 2020. He won the Democratic primary again with 90.7% of the votes. In the general election, he defeated Republican Kendall Qualls with 55.6% of the votes.
2022 Election
In 2022, Phillips ran for reelection and had no opponents in the Democratic primary. He won the general election against Republican Tom Weiler with 60% of the votes.
What Phillips Did in Congress
Phillips often voted in line with President Joe Biden's policies. He supported major economic plans like the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. He was known for working with members from both political parties. In 2019, he was ranked among the most bipartisan members of Congress.
Phillips helped write parts of the "For the People Act," a bill aimed at fighting corruption and protecting voting rights. He also sponsored the Allergen Disclosure In Non-Food Articles (ADINA) Act, which would require labels on non-food items to show if they contain common allergens. He also reintroduced the Voter Choice Act, which helps states use ranked-choice voting.
Phillips has been proud that he refused to take money from lobbyists, special interest groups, or Political Action Committees (PACs).
Healthcare
In 2023, Phillips supported the Medicare for All Act. This was a change from his earlier views. He explained that his experience caring for his daughter, who had Hodgkin lymphoma, and the challenges of providing health insurance for his employees, helped change his mind.
Climate Action
Phillips supported bills to address climate change, like the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, which would put a price on carbon. He also supported restoring the EPA's power to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.
Public Safety
Phillips received support from groups working to prevent gun violence. He voted to require background checks for all gun sales and supported "red-flag laws." He also sponsored the Pathways to Policing Act to help recruit more police officers.
Public Education
In 2023, Phillips helped lead a bill called the IDEA Full Funding Act. This law aims to make sure Congress fully funds the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which helps students with disabilities.
Term Limits
Phillips has supported setting term limits for members of Congress and Supreme Court justices, suggesting an 18-year limit for these roles.
Committee Work
In the 118th Congress, Phillips served on important committees:
- Committee on Foreign Affairs (where he was a top member for the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia subcommittee)
- Committee on Small Business
2024 Presidential Campaign
In July 2022, Phillips was the first Democrat in Congress to suggest that President Biden should not run for reelection, calling for "generational change." In October 2023, he announced he would step down from his leadership role in the House because his views on the 2024 election were different from most of his party. Many Democrats urged him not to challenge Biden.
On October 27, 2023, Phillips officially announced his campaign for president in New Hampshire. He argued that Biden might be a weak candidate against Donald Trump because of his age and low approval ratings. Phillips campaigned as a younger choice who could better challenge Trump. His campaign slogan was "Make America Affordable Again," focusing on economic issues like inflation.
Phillips believed that voters should have a choice in the primary election. He often said that the Democratic Party was "delusional" to think Biden could easily win against Trump. He also criticized how the Democratic National Committee handled the primary process, saying it made it hard for other candidates to get on ballots.
Phillips received support from some notable people, including New Hampshire state representatives and businessman Bill Ackman. He participated in debates and interviews to share his message.
Phillips lost the New Hampshire Democratic primary to Biden, who ran as a write-in candidate. After losing the South Carolina primary, Phillips vowed to stay in the race. However, after Super Tuesday in March 2024, he suspended his campaign and endorsed Biden. Phillips later said he had a "wonderful conversation" with Biden.
Phillips received four pledged delegates in the 2024 Democratic Party presidential primaries and over 500,000 votes.
After the Presidential Campaign
After his campaign, Phillips said that the national political parties, the media, and voters were partly to blame for his struggle to warn his party about the challenges Biden faced. He felt that many donors were too scared to support his campaign because they wanted to keep their access to power.
When President Biden withdrew from the presidential election on July 21, 2024, Phillips said he was disappointed that Biden had not dropped out earlier. He felt "vindicated" but also "unfulfilling" because his warnings had been ignored. Many people in the media and politics later gave Phillips credit for his early concerns about Biden's reelection chances.
Phillips supported Kamala Harris after Biden withdrew. He also suggested a straw poll for delegates to choose the party's nominee. Phillips was a superdelegate at the 2024 Democratic National Convention. He explained that he was trying to be like "Paul Revere," warning his party, not trying to be "George Washington" and lead the country himself.
Many people, including journalists and politicians, later apologized to Phillips or acknowledged that he had been right about his concerns. Phillips said he would "do it a thousand times again" and that his only regret was that more of his colleagues didn't speak up.
Personal Life
Phillips is divorced and has two adult daughters. He is Jewish and served on the board of Temple Israel in Minneapolis. His paternal grandmother, Pauline Phillips, was the famous advice columnist "Dear Abby."
Phillips is friends with actor Woody Harrelson. They traveled to Vietnam together, where Phillips's father had passed away. Phillips also met K-Pop stars from BigBang and BLACKPINK during a trip to South Korea. He is also a childhood friend of Representative Kelly Morrison and a college friend of Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. Phillips is a big fan of the Minnesota Vikings football team.
Images for kids
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Phillips speaking at an event in June 2022
