Dean Phillips facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dean Phillips
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| Co-Chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2023 – October 1, 2023 Serving with Veronica Escobar, 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) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Pauline Phillips (grandmother) Jeanne Phillips (aunt) |
| Education | Brown University (BA) University of Minnesota (MBA) |
Dean Benson Phillips (born January 20, 1969) is an American politician and businessman. He served as the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 3rd congressional district from 2019 to 2025. He is a member of the Democratic Party. His district covers the western suburbs of the Twin Cities, including places like Bloomington and Minnetonka.
Before politics, Phillips was known for his business ventures. He was a co-owner of Talenti gelato, a popular ice cream brand. He also co-owns Penny's Coffee, a chain of coffee shops. He used to be the head of his family's liquor business, the Phillips Distilling Company.
Phillips was first elected to Congress in 2018. He won against a Republican who had held the seat for a long time. This made him the first Democrat to win that seat since 1958. He was reelected twice after that. In 2023, Phillips decided not to run for reelection. He also challenged President Joe Biden for the Democratic Party's nomination in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
Contents
About Dean Phillips
Early Life and Business Career
Dean Phillips was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1969. His biological father passed away in the Vietnam War when Dean was very young. In 1972, his mother married Eddie Phillips. Eddie adopted Dean, and Dean took the last name Phillips. Eddie's mother was Pauline Phillips, who was famous for writing the advice column "Dear Abby."
In the early 1970s, Phillips moved to Edina. He went to The Blake School.
Phillips went to Brown University and graduated in 1991. After college, he worked for a bicycle equipment company for two years. Then, he joined his family's business. He later earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Minnesota in 2000. After getting his MBA, he became the president and CEO of his family's company, Phillips Distilling Company.
Phillips led the distilling company from 2000 to 2012. He then left that role to manage one of his other investments, Talenti gelato. Talenti was sold to Unilever in 2014. In 2016, he started Penny's Coffee, a chain of coffee shops. He still owns these coffee shops, which have locations in the Twin Cities area.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Phillips was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2018. He ran as a Democrat for Minnesota's 3rd congressional district. In the primary election, he won with a large majority of the votes. In the main election, he defeated the Republican who was already in office, Erik Paulsen. When Phillips started his term in 2019, he was the first Democrat to hold that seat since 1961.
He ran for reelection in 2020 and won again. He also won his reelection campaign in 2022.
Working Across Party Lines
Phillips is known for trying to work with members of both political parties. In 2019, a study ranked him as one of the most bipartisan members of Congress. He received an award for his bipartisan legislative work in 2021.
He has supported several important laws. For example, he voted for President Joe Biden's major economic plans. He also sponsored the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020, which helped businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. This law was signed by President Donald Trump.
Phillips has worked on bills to prevent gun violence. He also supported the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act, which helped people from Liberia become citizens. He has also worked on environmental issues, supporting bills that would put a price on carbon and restore the EPA's ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2022, Phillips met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss helping Ukraine. He also supported bills to protect women's reproductive rights after a major court decision in 2022.
Phillips has sponsored the Pathways to Policing Act. This act would provide money to help police departments recruit more officers. He also sponsored the ADINA Act, which would require labels on drugs to show if they contain common food allergens. In 2023, he helped lead a bill called the IDEA Full Funding Act. This bill aims to make sure that schools get enough money to support students with disabilities.
Phillips has stated that he is proud to be the only member of Congress who has refused money from lobbyists, special interest groups, and Political Action Committees. He also does not have his own leadership Political Action Committee.
In late 2023, Phillips changed his view on healthcare. He decided to co-sponsor the Medicare for All Act. He explained that his experience caring for his daughter, who had Hodgkin lymphoma, and the costs of providing health insurance for his employees, helped him change his mind.
In 2024, Phillips reintroduced the Voter Choice Act. This bill would provide money to states and local governments that choose to use ranked-choice voting. He also introduced the American Dream Accounts Act of 2024. This act would create a $5,000 account for every American child. This money would be invested and become available when they graduate from high school.
Phillips gave his farewell speech in Congress in December 2024. He talked about how the two main political parties in America sometimes focus on protecting themselves instead of solving problems. He encouraged his colleagues to work together and find common solutions.
Committee Work
In the 118th Congress, Phillips served on these committees:
- Committee on Foreign Affairs
- Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia (He was the top-ranking member for the minority party on this subcommittee.)
- Committee on Small Business
- Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access
- Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development
Groups He Joined
Phillips was also a member of several groups in Congress:
- Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus
- New Democrat Coalition
- Problem Solvers Caucus
- Rare Disease Caucus
Running for President
In July 2023, Phillips said he was thinking about challenging President Joe Biden for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 2024. In October 2023, he stepped down from his role as co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. He said his views on the 2024 presidential race were different from most of his party.
On October 27, 2023, Phillips officially announced he was running for president. He filed the necessary paperwork in New Hampshire. He said he would try to get his name on the primary ballots in states where the Democratic Party had not included him.
Phillips ran against Joe Biden in the New Hampshire Democratic primary. Biden was a write-in candidate, meaning people had to write his name on the ballot. Phillips received about 19.7% of the votes.
On March 6, 2024, Phillips ended his presidential campaign after a day known as "Super Tuesday," when many states hold their primary elections.
Personal Life
Phillips is married and has two daughters from a previous marriage. He is Jewish. He served on the board of Temple Israel in Minneapolis.
His paternal grandmother, Pauline Phillips, was the author of the famous advice column "Dear Abby."
Phillips is friends with actor Woody Harrelson. They met when Harrelson rented Phillips's house while filming a movie. Harrelson joined Phillips on a trip to Vietnam, where Phillips's biological father passed away. Phillips is a fan of the Minnesota Vikings football team.
Images for kids
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Phillips speaking to a Democratic group in 2017
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Dean Phillips's campaign booth at the Minnesota State Fair
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Phillips speaking at an event in June 2022
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