President Joe Biden faces a potentially embarrassing result in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary.
Recent surveys have shown Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., who has poured millions of his own money into the effort, earning as much as 28% of the Democrat vote, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Phillips earning 30% or more would be a major embarrassment to Biden, as previous Democrat incumbent Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama each earned 80% or more support in the state.
The Democratic National Committee reshuffled its primary schedule at the behest of the Biden White House, which wanted South Carolina to begin the nomination process Feb. 3.
However, New Hampshire state law mandates that the state hold the nation's first primary and authorities declined to move the primary.
Thus, Biden's name will not be listed on ballots for the primary, which will award no delegates to the party's nominating convention.
Some state party leaders have worked for months to organize a write-in campaign to ensure that Biden wins the New Hampshire primary, USA Today reported.
Phillips, self-help author Marianne Williamson, and more than a dozen lesser-known aspirants will appear on the ballot.
"They know that Joe Biden is one of the least well-positioned Democrats to take on this mission," Phillips said of his colleagues and the party establishment, the Journal reported.
"Coronating incumbents, even when they are not electable, even when the country says they don’t want it — particularly in light of the consequence of a Donald Trump reelection — it's tragic, and that's why somebody has to do something."
Phillips has modeled his campaign on the 1968 bid of former Minnesota Sen. Eugene McCarthy, whose close defeat in New Hampshire forced President Lyndon Johnson to drop out of the race.
Phillips said a strong showing by him would be getting upwards of 20% or more of the vote — "going from zero to somewhere in the 20s would be pretty awesome, I think."
Reuters contributed to this story.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.