The Third District’s new congressman reflects on challenges and priorities as his government-repair mission prepares to enter action mode.
Dean Phillips has a sense for the marketplace. He led Phillips Distilling as it recast itself from a maker of commodity spirits before the artisanal booze craze hit. He co-created Talenti Gelato before there was a gelato outpost in every upscale neighborhood, and his Penny’s Coffee offers a template for third-wave coffee shops as community centers. The adopted son of a legendarily philanthropic Minneapolis family, Phillips, 49—exhausted by the tenor of American politics and the tenure of Republican Rep. Erik Paulsen—decided to challenge Paulsen for his congressional seat, with an inclusive campaign geared to the district’s moderate, pragmatic leanings. We met him during Thanksgiving week at his soon-to-be ex-campaign HQ in a bungalow in downtown Excelsior.
An ugly campaign
Q Were you surprised to see your corporate ties and board history used against you by Republican interests? It seemed extraordinarily cynical.
A I thought it was ironic, disappointing, and very much a symptom of this disease [of money in politics]. I’m so grateful to the voters of the district that supported a campaign that took the high road.
View the complete January 2 article by Adam Platt on The Twin Cities Business website here.