Minnetonka, Minnesota - Minnesota Representative Dean Phillips recently joined the 2024 presidential race, but does the Democrat have what it takes to become the next president?

If you're already thinking "Dean who?" you are definitely not alone.

When Phillips announced in October that he would be challenging President Joe Biden's bid for re-election, he was a relatively unknown name outside his home state of Minnesota.

But what he lacks in name recognition, Phillips makes up for by having extensive experience in both business and politics.

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Phillips has admitted that he "didn't set out to enter this race," but was eventually moved to act by a strong conviction: "If President Biden is the Democratic nominee, we face an unacceptable risk of Trump being back in the White House."

"I know this campaign is a long shot," he added, "but that is why I think it is important and worth doing."

So who exactly is Dean Phillips, and what does he stand for? TAG24's candidate guide is here to answer all your questions.

At a young age, Phillips lost his father in the Vietnam War. His mother later remarried, and young Dean was officially adopted into the Phillips family.

He would later attend Brown University in Rhode Island, but returned to his home state of Minnesota to earn his MBA from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Business in 2000.

Dean went on to become head of the family business Phillips Distilling, and helped build a number of other thriving business endeavors, including ice cream brand Talenti Gelato and Penny's Coffee.

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By 2018, Phillips decided to jump into politics. He went on to beat Republican incumbent Erik Paulsen to represent Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District in 2019, and successfully won re-election to the seat in 2020 and 2022.

As a congressman, Phillips aimed to usher in "a new era of collaboration in Washington," and the Lugar Center ranked him 13 in their 2021 list of most bipartisan House members.

Dean currently resides in Wayzata, Minnesota, with his wife Annalise, with whom he shares two adult daughters.

Shortly after joining the race, Phillips shared a length post on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, outlining four key things he plans to run on – the economy, security, generational change, and listening.

"First and foremost, it will be about the economy," he wrote. "We have to make life more affordable for the middle class, which is the issue that voters care about most."

On security, he believes we must address the growing mental health and drug crisis in the country, which is "taking a horrible toll on individual as well as their communities."

"If people don't feel safe in their communities, not much else matters," he added.

On generational change, he aims to implement "policies that invest in our future, our young people."

And finally, Phillips wants to make his candidacy about "listening to each other to get back to a less divisive political environment."

Phillips is working with a bit of a handicap in the 2024 race due to the fact that he hasn't had much time to share his ideas and policies on the national stage to the same extent as other candidates who entered much earlier.

Fortunately, his website and social media pages are packed with details about his positions on a number of important policies.

Here is where the presidential hopeful stands on some of the most pressing political issues of the day.

Phillips has supported measures to provide police agencies with more funding which he believes will help "recruit and retain the best and the brightest, ensure access to appropriate training and equipment, and rethink our approach to mental health and substance abuse-related emergencies."

"Everyone deserves to feel safe in our community, no matter their race, income, or zip code," Phillips said.

As a representative of Minnesota, Phillips has said that every citizen of the state "should have access to an affordable two or four-year college degree, apprenticeship, or job-training certificate that prepares them for jobs of the future."

"This isn't just good for individual learners and their families; it's good for businesses, it's good for our communities, and it will help grow Minnesota’s economy," he added.

Phillips has yet to share how he plans to implement this on the national level if he wins the presidency.

Since launching his presidential campaign, Phillips has declared support for Medicare for All, long championed by Senator Bernie Sanders.

"I’m going to present this as not a progressive notion, it’s actually a remarkably centrist and moderate notion, that everybody should have insurance," he told The New York Post. "The government should not be engaged in the care, in the provision, in the hospitals – not at all. It’s just that there should be single-payer covering the costs, and if we did that, we would spend a lot less money."

Phillips has also said he would support a Universal Basic Income pilot program to address jobs lost as artificial intelligence grows more advanced.

One of the leading issues every candidate will face heading into 2024 is sharing their views on the Israel-Gaza war, which erupted after the October 7 Hamas attack.

Philips, who is a current ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, has praised President Biden's position, arguing that he has made "a strong case for why we must support Ukraine, Israel, and all who seek self-determination, security, and peace."

At the same time, Phillips has pushed for peace, and has argued that "Israel must take every precaution to limit civilian harm through this operation to defend itself against terrorism."

Per his website, Phillips supports "comprehensive immigration reform, including enhanced border security, a pathway to citizenship for those here now, and a streamlined process for those seeking to enter the country legally."

"The America I know and love is a compassionate America that values and welcomes hard-working people who come here with big dreams and a simple wish for safety and opportunity," Phillips has said.

"This is not a Republican or Democratic issue. It is a human issue – and an economic issue – and we must do better."

"The effects of climate change are now being seen and felt by nearly every American and by people across the world," Phillips has argued. "Our planet will survive, but if we don't take urgent action, humanity may not – and America must resume its role as a global leader in addressing this crisis."

During his time in Congress, Phillips has supported measures that aim to cut greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate the effects of climate change, and create more resilient communities.

Phillips is a member of the Pro-Choice Caucus in Congress, as he believes "patients – not politicians – should have the freedom to make personal decisions about their own health, including when it comes to reproductive health."

Phillips has declared support for reparations for Black Americans, but has not specified whether he would create a federal commission by executive order, as advocates have urged Biden to do.

"I believe that reparations have to start with acknowledging the injustice that was done to black Americans," he told The New York Post in December. "To me, the answer is to invest in every community that is underrepresented, disenfranchised, has been segregated or has been subject to horrors."

"That means outstanding education for everybody, that means outstanding healthcare for everyone. That means childcare and pre-K education, it also means housing for everybody. That’s to me the best way we can make reparations, is to do so by raising the foundations for everybody. That certainly includes black Americans because the injustice is horrifying."

Although many of his ideas and policies align with President Biden's, Phillips has a lot of hurdles to overcome if he expects to win the White House.

For starters, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has fully endorsed Biden's re-election effort, and in doing so, has decided not to hold any committee sanctioned events, such as primary debates.

This has placed extreme limitations on every Democratic candidate in the race as they struggle to get their message across at the national level.

Second, Phillips' lack of name recognition and lack of policies that set him apart means he is particularly vulnerable to this disadvantage/

Finally, while support and enthusiasm for Biden may be low, many Democratic voters see keeping Trump out of office as the ultimate goal and are likely to go for the "safe" option.

Having said that, recent polling has shown that if Biden were to step down from the race, Democratic voters would be supportive of a capable alternative.