Representative Dean Phillips announced on Wednesday that he is ending his challenge to President Joe Biden after his campaign struggled to gain traction ahead of Super Tuesday.

"I ran for Congress in 2018 to resist Donald Trump, I was trapped in the Capitol in 2021 because of Donald Trump, and I ran for President in 2024 to resist Donald Trump again - because Americans were demanding an alternative, and democracy demands options," he wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

He continued, "But it is clear that alternative is not me. And it is clear that Joe Biden is OUR candidate and OUR opportunity to demonstrate what type of country America is and intends to be."

The Context

Phillips, a Minnesota Democrat first elected to Congress in 2018, challenged Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination, arguing it is time for new leadership in politics. He raised concerns about Biden's age, as well as the president's electability during his campaign. Although he is known as a more moderate Democrat in Congress, Phillips at times took more progressive positions during the presidential race, such as embracing Medicare for All.