Summary
Current Position: US Representative of MN District 3 since 2019
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: President
Former Position: Business owner from 1991 – 2019
Other Positions: Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight, and Regulations – Small Business committee
District: suburbs of Hennepin and Anoka counties to the west, south, and north of Minneapolis.
Upcoming Election:
Phillips has both owned and started several companies in addition to serving as president and CEO of his family’s liquor business, the Phillips Distilling Company.He is the former co-owner of Talenti gelato and co-owns Penny’s Coffee. On November 24, 2023, Phillips announced that he would not run for reelection.
In 2023, he announced his intent to challenge Biden for the Democratic nomination in the 2024 presidential election.
Featured Quote:
To the community I love: If you’re feeling fearful and anxious this week, imagine feeling this way every day of your life and employ that empathy as inspiration to ensure that future American generations ALL know justice, peace, and opportunity.
Fox News: Rep. Phillips’s Mission to Inspire Collaboration in Congress
OnAir Post: Dean Phillips MN-03
News
About
Source: Government page
Dean Phillips is a father, businessman, civic leader, and newly-elected Representative for Minnesota’s Third Congressional District.
A Gold Star Son who lost his birth father, Artie, in the Vietnam War, Dean was adopted into the Phillips family when his mother DeeDee married Eddie Phillips, who raised Dean to work hard and always share success.
Dean attended Brown University before returning to Minnesota to earn his MBA from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Business. After working at a variety of startup businesses, he joined his family business, Phillips Distilling, which he eventually led. He later went on to help build Talenti Gelato into one of the top-selling ice cream brands in the country. He is now co-owner of Penny’s Coffee, a small business with two locations and more on the way.
In Congress, Dean is focused on campaign finance, electoral and ethics reforms, and addressing healthcare costs, global climate change and our nation’s gun violence epidemic. He is a member of the House Ethics, Financial Services and Foreign Affairs Committees, as well as the Democracy Reform Task Force and the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.
Personal
Full Name: Dean Benson Phillips
Gender: Male
Family: Divorced; 2 Children: Daniela, Pia; Wife: Annalise
Birth Date: 01/20/1969
Birth Place: Saint Paul, MN
Home City: Deephaven, MN
Religion: Jewish
Source: Vote Smart
Education
MBA, University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management, 1998-2000
BA, Urban Studies, Brown University, 1988-1991
Political Experience
Representative, United States House of Representatives, Minnesota, District 3, 2019-present
Candidate, United States House of Representatives, Minnesota, District 3, 2022
Professional Experience
Co-Founder, Penny’s Coffee, 2016-present
Partner, Talenti
Chair of the Board, Phillips Distilling Company, 2014-2017
Board Member, Board of Directors, Winmark Corporation, 2007-2014
President/Chief Executive Officer, Phillips Distilling Company, 1993-2012
Chair, Board of Directors, Allina Hospitals & Clinics, 2009-2011
Offices
Washington, DC Office
2452 Rayburn HOB
45 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2871
Fax: (202) 225-6351
Minnetonka Office
13911 Ridgedale Drive
Suite 200
Minnetonka, MN 55305
Phone: (952) 656-5176
Contact
Email: Government
Web Links
Politics
Source: none
Finances
Source: Open Secrets
Committees
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS
As an entrepreneur and small business owner himself, Rep. Phillips brings valuable experience and a proven bipartisan record of results to the Small Business Committee and will remain focused on supporting those small businesses most impacted by the COVID pandemic. In his first term, Phillips authored the bipartisan Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Flexibility Act which helped thousands of small businesses access much-needed PPP funds and avoid further closures and layoffs. Minnesota’s Third Congressional District has more small businesses – generating more in payroll at $11.2 billion annually – than any other District in the state, according to the Small Business Administration.
“Small businesses in our community – from local burger joints to barbershops – are the glue that hold our communities together and power our economy, and they’re in crisis. We must do everything in our power to help them weather the storm so that they can help lead the economic recovery once we are through this pandemic. I’ll have the voices of Minnesota’s small business owners and entrepreneurs in mind as we provide the oversight necessary to ensure federal funds are accessible and equitably distributed and as we lay the groundwork for a prosperous future for our main street businesses.”
- Phillips will lead the Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight, and Regulations as Chairman
- Phillips will also serve on Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development
SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE MODERNIZATION OF CONGRESS
The bipartisan Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress was created in 2019 and tasked with making recommendations to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Congress. After months of hearings, the Select Committee released 29 recommendations, including one inspired by Rep. Phillips to overhaul the onboarding process for freshmen members so that newly-elected Republicans and Democrats – who are normally separated by political party – spend more time together. As a new member of the Select Committee, Phillips will advance ideas, processes, and technologies that foster cooperation and restore Americans’ faith in government.
“Over my 30-year career in business and philanthropy, I observed hundreds of organizations, institutions, and enterprises throughout the world. I have never encountered one so utterly dysfunctional and in need of reformation as our Congress. A system that elevates dividers and ignores uniters, that promotes those who raise the most money for their party and sidelines those who raise the best ideas for their country, and that over appreciates tenure and under appreciates talent, makes a mockery of our Founders’ greatest contributions. It’s time for Congress to value winning policies over winning elections.”
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Phillips will remain on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs for a second term. In an increasingly interconnected world, and after four years of increased tensions with allies around the world, his work on the committee will be far-reaching.
“The COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and the spread of disinformation are global issues that won’t be solved with outdated, isolationist thinking. I look forward to working with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and my colleagues on the House Foreign Affairs Committee to rebuild our relationships with allies, reestablish American leadership in the world, and ensure the 21st century is one of expanding peace and prosperity.”
- Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, Environment, and Cyber
- Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Global Human Rights
Phillips will remain on the House Ethics Committee for a second term. Committee members are tasked with supervising and enforcing ethics rules for the House of Representatives. It is the only standing committee with membership divided evenly between political parties; five Democrats and five Republicans.
“Restoring Americans’ faith in our government begins with cleaning up corruption and holding elected leaders accountable to the highest standards of ethics.”
Caucuses
- House Democratic Caucus
- Committee on Caucus Procedures
- New Democrat Coalition
- Vice Chair, Problem Solvers CaucusPhillips will build on the bipartisan successes from his first term by helping to lead the Problem Solvers Caucus as co-Vice Chair. As too many in Congress and across our country retreat to partisan corners, the Problem Solvers Caucus enters the 117th Congress with 56 members – 28 Republicans and 28 Democrats – seeking to initiate debate, ignite optimism, and elevate the best ideas from both sides of the aisle.“At a time America needs leaders who practice civility and decency more than ever, I’m honored to work alongside my fellow Democrats and Republicans on a shared mission of using common sense to find common ground in pursuit of the common good.”
- Gun Violence Prevention Task Force
- Democracy Reform Taskforce
- LGBTQ Equality Caucus
- Army Caucus
- National Guard and Reserve Component Caucus
- Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission
- Caucus on Committee Procedures
- Bipartisan Opioid Taskforce
- Organic Caucus
- Library of Congress Caucus
- Freshman Working Group on Addiction
- Cuba Working Group
- Congressional Coalition on Adoption
- Navy-Marine Corps Caucus
- US-Japan Congressional Caucus
New Legislation
Issues
Source: Campaign page
More Information
Services
Source: Government page
District
Source: Wikipedia
Minnesota’s 3rd congressional district encompasses the suburbs of Hennepin and Anoka counties to the west, south, and north of Minneapolis. The district, which is mostly suburban in character, includes a few farming communities on its far western edge and also inner-ring suburban areas on its eastern edge. The district includes the blue collar cities of Brooklyn Park and Coon Rapids to the north-east, middle-income Bloomington to the south, and higher-income Eden Prairie, Edina, Maple Grove, Plymouth, Minnetonka, and Wayzata to the west. Democrat Dean Phillips currently represents the district in the U.S. House of Representatives, after defeating incumbent Republican Erik Paulsen in the 2018 midterm elections.
Wikipedia
Contents
Dean Benson Phillips[1] (né Pfefer; born January 20, 1969)[2] is an American businessman, politician, and former candidate for the 2024 Democratic Party presidential nomination who has served as the U.S. representative from Minnesota’s 3rd congressional district since 2019.[3] Phillips’s district encompasses the western suburbs of the Twin Cities, such as Bloomington, Minnetonka, Edina, Maple Grove, Plymouth, and Eden Prairie. A member of the Democratic Party, Phillips has both owned and started several companies in addition to serving as president and CEO of his family’s liquor business, the Phillips Distilling Company.[4][5][6] He is the former co-owner of Talenti gelato and co-owns Penny’s Coffee. On November 24, 2023, Phillips announced that he would not run for reelection to his congressional seat.[7]
First elected in 2018, Phillips defeated six-term Republican incumbent Erik Paulsen.[8] By flipping the previously Republican district, he became the first Democrat to win the seat since 1958. He has since been reelected twice by comfortable margins. Phillips is a Democrat who has consistently voted in support of President Joe Biden‘s positions. With a net worth of $77 million in 2018, Phillips is one of the wealthiest members of Congress.[9] He unsuccessfully challenged Biden for the Democratic nomination in the 2024 presidential election.[10][11]
Early life, education, and career
Phillips was born to DeeDee (Cohen) and Artie Pfefer in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1969.[12] His biological father was killed in the Vietnam War six months after Phillips was born. His mother married Eddie Phillips, heir to the Phillips Distilling Company and the son of advice columnist Pauline Phillips (popularly known as Dear Abby),[13] in 1972. Eddie adopted Dean, who took the last name Phillips.[14] He was raised Jewish.[15]
In the early 1970s, Phillips moved from Saint Paul to Edina. He attended The Blake School.[16]
Phillips graduated from Brown University in 1991 and was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. He worked for bicycle equipment and apparel company InMotion for two years, and then joined his family’s company’s corporate office. He later completed his Master of Business Administration at the University of Minnesota‘s Carlson School of Management in 2000. After graduation, he was named the president and CEO of his family’s organization, Phillips Distilling Company.[13]
Phillips served as the company’s president and CEO from 2000 to 2012. He then stepped aside to run one of his other corporate investments, Talenti gelato, until it was sold for an undisclosed amount to Unilever in 2014.[17] In 2016 he founded Penny’s Coffee, a coffeeshop chain he still owns, which has two locations in the Twin Cities metropolitan area as of 2022.[17]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2018
In 2018, Phillips ran for the United States House of Representatives in Minnesota’s 3rd congressional district as a Democrat.[18] In the Democratic primary, he defeated former sales associate Cole Young with 81.6% of the vote. Phillips won all three counties in the district.[19]
In the general election, Phillips defeated incumbent Republican Erik Paulsen with 55.6% of the vote.[20] When he took office in 2019, he became the first Democrat to hold this seat since 1961.[citation needed]
2020
Phillips ran for reelection in 2020. He defeated Cole Young in the Democratic primary with 90.7% of the vote[21] and faced off against the Republican nominee, businessman Kendall Qualls.[22] Phillips defeated Qualls with 55.6% of the vote.[23]
2022
Phillips was unopposed in the Democratic primary. In the general election, he defeated the Republican nominee, retired U.S. Navy submarine officer Tom Weiler, with 60% of the vote.[24]
Tenure
According to FiveThirtyEight's congressional vote tracker at ABC News, Phillips voted with President Joe Biden‘s stated public policy positions 100% of the time,[25] making him more liberal than average in the 117th Congress when predictive scoring (district partisanship and voting record) is used.[25] During the start of his first term in 2019, the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University placed him 27th out of 435 members in terms of bipartisanship.[26]
On December 20, 2023, Phillips signed on as a co-sponsor of the Medicare for All Act.[27] This marked a departure from his earlier position on healthcare; he said that he had previously been “convinced through propaganda that [single-payer healthcare] was a nonsensical leftist notion”.[28] He cited a confluence of factors that shifted his view in favor of Medicare for All, including his experience caring for his daughter who had been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, the financial strain of providing health insurance to his employees as a business owner, and the dynamics of representing a congressional district that includes the headquarters of UnitedHealth Group as well as many residents who struggle to access healthcare.[29]
Committee assignments
For the 118th Congress:[30]
- Committee on Foreign Affairs
- Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia (Ranking Member)
- Committee on Small Business
Caucus memberships
2024 presidential campaign
In July 2023, Phillips said he was considering challenging President Joe Biden in the 2024 Democratic presidential primaries.[33] In October 2023, he announced that he would step down as co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee because his views on the 2024 presidential race were incongruent with the majority of his caucus.[34] On October 27, in Concord, New Hampshire, he announced a run for the presidency[35] after he officially filed the paperwork with the Federal Election Commission the previous day.[36] Phillips said he would challenge to gain access to the primary ballots of several states where the Democratic Party had excluded him.[37][38]
Phillips lost the New Hampshire Democratic primary to Biden, receiving 19.9% of the vote. Biden was a write-in candidate.[39]
On March 6, 2024, Phillips suspended his campaign following Super Tuesday and endorsed Joe Biden.[40]
Electoral history
2018
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic (DFL) | Dean Phillips | 56,697 | 81.6 | |
Democratic (DFL) | Cole Young | 12,784 | 18.4 | |
Total votes | 69,481 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic (DFL) | Dean Phillips | 202,402 | 55.6 | |
Republican | Erik Paulsen (incumbent) | 160,839 | 44.2 | |
Write-in | 707 | 0.2 | ||
Total votes | 363,948 | 100 | ||
Democratic (DFL) gain from Republican |
2020
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic (DFL) | Dean Phillips (incumbent) | 73,011 | 90.7 | |
Democratic (DFL) | Cole Young | 7,443 | 9.3 | |
Total votes | 80,454 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic (DFL) | Dean Phillips (incumbent) | 246,666 | 55.6 | |
Republican | Kendall Qualls | 196,625 | 44.3 | |
Write-in | 312 | 0.1 | ||
Total votes | 443,603 | 100 |
2022
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic (DFL) | Dean Phillips (incumbent) | 198,883 | 59.6 | |
Republican | Tom Weiler | 134,797 | 40.4 | |
Write-in | 241 | 0.2 | ||
Total votes | 333,921 | 100 | ||
Democratic (DFL) hold |
Personal life
Phillips is married and has two daughters from a previous marriage. He is Jewish[44] and was acknowledged by the Minnesota publication The American Jewish World for serving on the board of Temple Israel in Minneapolis.[45]
Phillips’s adoptive paternal grandmother Pauline Phillips was the author of the advice column “Dear Abby“, under the pen name Abigail Van Buren.[46]
References
- ^ “PAGE BY PAGE REPORT DISPLAY FOR 12951451573 (Page 196 of 371)”. Docquery.fec.gov. Archived from the original on December 25, 2018. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
- ^ “Candidate Conversation – Dean Phillips (DFL) – News & Analysis – Inside Elections”. Insideelections.com. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
- ^ Coolican, J. Patrick (May 9, 2017). “Minnesota liquor heir hopes to parlay business career into congressional bid”. Star Tribune. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
- ^ Monroe, Nancy Weingartner (September 29, 2017). “Dean Philip’s Running For Office While Running Penny’s”. foodservicenews.net. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
- ^ “Vodka and Gelato Tycoon Challenging Minnesota’s Erik Paulsen”. Roll Call. May 16, 2017. Archived from the original on March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
- ^ “Phillips liquor heir, Dear Abby’s grandson launches bid to unseat Congressman Erik Paulsen”. Twin Cities. May 16, 2017. Archived from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ Frazier, Kierra (November 24, 2023). “Dean Phillips announces he won’t seek reelection to Congress”. Politico. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
- ^ “In competitive Third District race, Erik Paulsen, Dean Phillips clash at second debate”. AP NEWS. October 5, 2018. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
- ^ “The Wealthiest Members of Congress—And How They Made Their Millions – Fortune”. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ John, Arit; McKend, Eva; Pellish, Aaron (October 26, 2023). “House Democrat Dean Phillips launches primary challenge against President Biden”. CNN. Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
- ^ “Dean Phillips ends presidential campaign and endorses Biden”. NBC News. March 6, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ “MN-03: Dean Phillips (D)”. November 6, 2018. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
- ^ a b Rivera, Erica (January 24, 2018). “Can charming liquor heir Dean Phillips beat Erik Paulsen, Minnesota’s corporate congressman?”. City Pages. Archived from the original on October 23, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- ^ Ward, Ian (October 27, 2023). “55 Things You Need to Know About Dean Phillips”. Politico. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
- ^ > “Dean Phillips is Jewish”.
- ^ “Dean Phillips”. www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ a b Mandelbaum, Robb. “He Sold Americans On Small Luxuries Like Gelato. Can He Sell His Minnesota Nice Politics?”. Forbes. Archived from the original on March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
- ^ “Democrat Phillips defeats incumbent Paulsen in Minnesota’s Third District”. StarTribune.com. Archived from the original on November 6, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- ^ “Minnesota Primary Election Results: Third House District”. The New York Times. August 16, 2018. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 20, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
- ^ “MN Election Results”. Electionresults.sos.state.mn.us. Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. Archived from the original on November 7, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- ^ “Official Canvassing Report”. Minnesota Secretary of State. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ Orrick, Dave (July 29, 2019). “A black Republican is running for Congress in the metro suburbs. What does he think of Trump?”. Twin Cities Pioneer Press. Archived from the original on July 30, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
- ^ “Results for All Congressional Districts”. Minnesota Secretary of State. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
- ^ “Minnesota Third Congressional District Election Results”. The New York Times. November 8, 2022. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
- ^ a b Wiederkehr, Anna; Bycoffe, Aaron (April 22, 2021). “Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?”. FiveThirtyEight. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
- ^ “The Lugar Center – McCourt School Bipartisan Index House Scores 116th Congress First Session (2019)” (PDF). Georgetown University. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ Irwin, Lauren (December 20, 2023). “Phillips endorsing ‘Medicare for All’ legislation”. The Hill. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
- ^ Epstein, Reid J.; Stolberg, Sheryl Gay (December 20, 2023). “Dean Phillips, an upstart challenger to Biden, embraces ‘Medicare for All’“. The New York Times. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
- ^ Otterbein, Holly (December 20, 2023). “‘Medicare for All’ bill becomes part of Dean Phillips’s presidential pitch”. Politico. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
- ^ “Dean Phillips”. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ “Members”. New Democrat Coalition. Archived from the original on February 8, 2018. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
- ^ “Minnesotans in Congress get troubling look at U.S.-Mexico border”. Star Tribune. Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ Epstein, Reid J. (July 29, 2023). “Rep. Dean Phillips Says He Is Considering a Run Against Biden”. The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ Huynh, Anjali (October 2, 2023). “House Democrat Leaves Leadership Position After Teasing Run Against Biden”. The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ Schneider, Elena; Kashinsky, Lisa (October 27, 2023). “Biden camp plays it cool. But Dean Phillips’ bid is on their radar”. Politico. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ Otterbein, Holly; Schneider, Elena (October 26, 2023). “Rep. Dean Phillips files paperwork for presidential bid against Biden”. Politico. Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
- ^ “Dean Phillips, Biden’s ‘friendly’ challenger, no longer pulling punches”. Courthouse News. December 11, 2023.
- ^ “Biden primary foe Phillips will challenge states where he missed ballot”. Semafor. December 7, 2023.
- ^ “Here’s the 1 town Biden lost in NH’s Democratic primary (so far)”. NBC Boston.
- ^ “Dean Phillips halts his long-shot presidential bid and endorses President Biden”.
- ^ “Unofficial Results Tuesday, August 11, 2020”. Minnesota Secretary of State. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
- ^ “Unofficial Results Tuesday, November 3, 2020”. Minnesota Secretary of State. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ “2022 General Election – Results for All Congressional Districts”. Minnesota Secretary of State. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
- ^ “Dean Phillips & The Road To November 2018”. Tcjewfolk.com. May 30, 2017. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
- ^ “Dear Abby asked Dean Phillips for advice”. July 25, 2018. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
- ^ Alberta, Tim (March 8, 2019). “The Democrats’ Dilemma”. Politico. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
External links
- Congressman Dean Phillips official U.S. House website
- Campaign website
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Appearances on C-SPAN