Founder of 'Gelato' Becomes a Challenger to Biden; Democratic House Member Announces Entry into Primary Elections

Dean Phillips, a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota, announced on Friday, October 27, his entry into the primary elections of the Democratic Party to select the party's final candidate for the 2024 presidential election. The 54-year-old businessman, who is also a co-founder of the 'Gelato' company, stated in a one-minute video posted on social media: 'We have challenges ahead... We will repair this economy, and we will repair America.' Phillips has served three terms representing Minnesota in the House. Given Joe Biden's extensive resources and the Democratic Party's official support for him, it seems unlikely that Phillips will pose a challenge to Biden. This American lawmaker is expected to hold an event outside the New Hampshire State House in Concord on Friday afternoon and then officially enter the race by registering with the Secretary of State's office. Phillips has already missed the registration deadline in Nevada and will have to compete with Biden in South Carolina after the New Hampshire event. South Carolina has a large Black population and played a decisive role in Biden's ultimate victory in the 2020 presidential primary. Democrats are cautious about any intra-party challenge to Biden that could reduce his chances against potential Republican nominee Donald Trump. Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic Party in Minnesota, said: 'I have known Dean [Phillips] for 10 years. He is my friend, someone I respect and admire, but I have deep disagreements with him on this matter.' Martin continued, 'Honestly, it makes no sense to me that he would spend all this political capital, all of his political capital, pursuing an unattainable goal that will not lead to him becoming president.' Reuters reported that the campaigns of Phillips and Biden did not respond to inquiries from the news agency. Phillips's entry into the electoral race comes after Biden's campaign informed the Democratic Party in New Hampshire that the president would not submit his name for the state's primary voting because the state did not comply with Biden's request to forego holding the first round of intra-party elections in favor of South Carolina. Senior Democrats in New Hampshire are expected to begin Biden's campaign in the state using a 'write-in' method. In this method, the candidate's name does not appear on the ballots, but voters can write in his name to vote for their preferred candidate. According to polls, Democratic voters and also independent voters leaning Democratic are calling for another candidate to run in the election due to concerns about Biden's age. In August, Phillips criticized Trump's policies and stated that it was time for Biden to step aside. In the first debate among Republican candidates for the U.S. elections, Trump defended his absence from the debate. Milwaukee was the scene of the first competition among eight Republican candidates; Trump did not participate in the debate. Ron DeSantis, one of the Republican candidates, stated that Iranians use money to support terrorism. A presidential candidate in the U.S. said that the JCPOA is obsolete and unsuitable for the present era. Chris Christie began his presidential campaign in the U.S. with an attack on Trump. Mike Pence entered the preliminary Republican competition for the 2024 elections.