Minnesota Representative Dean Phillips announced his withdrawal from the 2024 Democratic presidential primary on Wednesday.
Phillips, who campaigned on the premise that the party needed a younger nominee, has now thrown his support behind Biden.
The decision follows Biden's success in winning Minnesota on Super Tuesday and the recent downsizing of Phillips' campaign staff, particularly before the Michigan primary, where he fell short with less than 3% support.
Phillips, who abandoned his House leadership position in the fall and declared he wouldn't seek another term, faced a lack of significant support in any of the states that have voted so far for the Democratic nominee
"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," Phillips wrote on X.
"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," he added.
Biden has been dominating the Democratic primary contests this year, starting with the South Carolina primary on February 3, extending through Super Tuesday, and continuing to consolidate his position as the frontrunner.
The exit of Phillips, who failed to secure significant support in any of the states voting for the Democratic nominee, leaves author Marianne Williamson as the last notable primary challenger to Biden. Williamson had briefly dropped out on February 7 but re-entered the race after outperforming Phillips in the Michigan primary.
Moreover, despite his warnings about Biden's age and low approval ratings, the congressman endorsed Biden on Wednesday, emphasizing the contrast between the president and Trump. He cited Biden as a man of competency, decency, and integrity while characterizing Trump as a "very dangerous, dangerous man."
"We only have two of them, and it's going to be Donald Trump or Joe Biden," Phillips told a local Minnesota radio station.
"And while indeed I think the president is at a stage in life where his capacities are diminished, he is still a man of competency and decency and integrity. And the alternative, Donald Trump, is a very dangerous, dangerous man," he added.
As Phillips bows out, attention now turns to the remaining primary dynamics and Biden's growing momentum toward securing the Democratic nomination.
