Democrats Pick Replacement to Fill Rep. Phillips Leadership Position

Several weeks ago, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) announced that he would be running against Joe Biden in the Democrat primary race.

Then, just a few days ago, Phillips announced that he was going all-in on the presidential race, choosing not to run for re-election for his congressional seat.

So, Democrats have elected Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA) to replace him in his leadership role.

He’s Gone

Phillips has stated that he does not consider himself to be running against Joe Biden.

As far as he is concerned, he is only meeting the wishes of voters who have made it very clear they want an alternative to Joe Biden on the ballot.

To show how serious he is about running, Phillips announced that he would not be running for re-election in the House, fully dedicating himself to his presidential run.

Prior to announcing his candidacy, he resigned as the co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee.

Phillips stated, “After three terms it is time to pass the torch,” Phillips said in a statement. “No party has a monopoly on solutions, and we must stop fighting one another and begin fighting for one another — before it is too late.”

Trahan ran against Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) for the position, soundly defeating Crow, 132-72.

After being elected to the leadership role, Trahan stated, “More than anything, I'm humbled by the trust that my colleagues have placed in me to help lead the House Policy Communications Committee.

“I ran for this position because I want to do everything in my power to defeat Republican extremism, retake the House, and return the American people to the center of everything that we do.”

Trahan was first elected in the 2019 cycle, working her way up through the ranks of party leadership.

She will now join Reps. Lauren Underwood (D-IL) and Veronica Escobar (D-TX) as co-chairs on the committee. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) serves as the chairman.