Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Dean Phillips is planning a legal battle against state parties that have chosen to include only President Biden on their 2024 primary ballots and exclude all other rivals.
Phillips (D-Minn.) has expressed frustration at being left off the ballot in states like Florida, North Carolina and Tennessee, and hopes to file challenges against those state Democrats and the Democratic National Committee, Semafor reported.
“Unilaterally disenfranchising the Democratic base, including a disproportionate number of Black voters who are demanding a more affordable America, is reprehensible,” Phillips told the outlet in a statement.
“If Joe Biden is the best candidate to defeat Donald Trump and lead us to a safer, more affordable future, let him compete for that privilege without his supporters repressing and disenfranchising millions of voters,” the 54-year-old added. .
Phillips’ campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Post on Friday.
After signing a declaration of candidacy for president and leaving the New Hampshire State House, Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips addresses the crowd on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, in Concord. AP
Florida Democrats voted during their state convention in October to submit only Biden’s name for the primary vote. Under state law, the presidential race cannot be included on voting day if the incumbent is unopposed.
Phillips was infuriated by the Sunshine State Democrats’ decision at the time, comparing the move to Middle Eastern authoritarianism.
“Americans would expect the absence of democracy in Tehran, not Tallahassee,” Phillips said. “Intentional disenfranchisement of voters goes against everything our Democratic Party and our country stands for.”
Democratic presidential candidate Dean Phillips and U.S. Navy veteran Tom Sawyer, both Gold Star sons, speak during a campaign stop at the New Hampshire Veterans Home in Tilton, New Hampshire. REUTERS
In North Carolina, state Democratic Party Chairman Anderson Clayton decided to only include Biden “for the 2024 Democratic primary ballot” in a letter sent to the state elections board.
On December 5, Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett certified that Biden will be the only Democratic candidate on the ballot in the Volunteer State on Super Tuesday, although Hargett noted that Phillips had filed a request to request ballot access and that county election commissions would review his request. .
Phillips is running a campaign to directly criticize Biden’s age and record in office. The Minnesota lawmaker has argued that Biden does not have the support to defeat GOP front-runner Donald Trump and that he had to step up to prevent the 45th president from winning a second term.
Polling data shows Phillips averaging 3.4% support nationally compared to Biden’s 68%, according to RealClearPolitics. Biden also faces a challenge from self-help author Marianne Williamson, who polls at 8.4% in the RCP national average.
Phillips missed the deadline to file for the Nevada primary and is focusing his efforts on New Hampshire, where Biden can only be registered due to the state’s disputes with the Democratic National Committee over the primary date.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn