Democratic donors are urging a moderate congressman from Minnesota to challenge President Joe Biden in the 2024 primary.
Politico reported Friday that third-term Rep. Dean Phillips, who represents a suburban district of Minneapolis, is being urged by donors to enter the Democratic primary field for 2024.
The report said that Phillips, 54, is scheduled to meet with donors in New York City next week to explore the possibility of entering the 2024 race.
Phillips confirmed the Politico report to Minneapolis' Star Tribune newspaper Friday.
Biden already is being challenged by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and author Marianne Williamson in his bid for reelection.
Politico reported that Phillips is getting donor attention for rebuking the third-party advocate No Labels bipartisan group.
According to a recent Washington Post analysis, if the organization were to field a bipartisan "fusion" ticket with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, a Republican, polling shows it would strip votes away from Biden and help former President Donald Trump return to the Oval Office.
But despite Phillips' scheduled meeting and his donors' interest, he "is highly unlikely to mount a primary challenge unless Biden's health worsens or his political standing drops precipitously," Politico reported.
Before Trump announced his bid for 2024 last year, Phillips was questioning whether Biden should seek reelection.
"Under no condition can we afford another four years of Donald Trump, and while Joe Biden was clearly the right candidate at the right time two years ago, it's my hope that both major parties put forward new candidates of principle, civility, and integrity in 2024," the Tribune reported Phillips saying in a statement last July.
Both Biden and Trump currently have substantial leads in their respective parties for the nominations.
Polling website FiveThirtyEight has Trump leading Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis 52.4% to 15.5% on the Republican side, with Biden solidly ahead of Kennedy 65.1% to 14.9%.
In a head-to-head rematch of 2020, Real Clear Politics polls have Biden and Trump locked in a 50%-50% tie.
According to Politico, it's not just Democrats that may be looking for a more moderate candidate in 2024.
Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, told the news outlet that he would not rule out a run so Trump would not get the GOP nomination.
"I'm not going to say I absolutely wouldn't consider it," he told Politico. "Today it looks like we have two really terrible choices. Most people in America, whether they're Republicans or Democrats, they will say: 'Is this the best we can come up with to serve as leader of the free world?'"
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