Dean Phillips Ready To Take Over 3rd District

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- One of the biggest wins this last election was the double-digit victory by businessman Dean Phillips over five-term incumbent Representative Erik Paulsen.

Phillips beat Paulsen by 11 percentage points and says he is ready to champion a progressive agenda for Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District.

Defeating a long-term incumbent Congressman is never easy, but businessman and philanthropist Dean Phillips handily beat Congressman Erik Paulsen in the November midterm elections. Phillips will represent Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District, which encompasses the western suburbs of Minneapolis.

One of Phillips' top campaign issues was campaign finance reform. Phillips was part of a tide of victories that led Democrats to take back control of the U.S. House. The Democrats first bill in the 2019 session will take on that very issue.

Congressman-elect Dean Phillips was a guest on WCCO Sunday Morning.

"I think it is foundational to effect any change this country wants and that whole reform agenda, ethics reform, voter protection and most importantly, campaign finance reform," Phillips said.

Phillips will be one of a record five new members of Congress from Minnesota that will be sworn in the first week of January. The others are Congresswomen-elect Angie Craig and Ilhan Omar, and Congressmen-elect Jim Hagedorn and Pete Stauber.

You can watch WCCO Sunday Morning with Esme Murphy and MIke Augustyniak every Sunday at 6am and 10:30 a.m.