Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips confirms he's being urged to run for president in 2024

U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips confirmed on Friday he is being urged to consider running for president in the 2024 Democratic primary.

Phillips, who represents the suburban Third District and is part of House Democratic leadership, has not endorsed incumbent President Joe Biden's re-election run.

Any effort to defeat Biden in a Democratic primary would be a long-shot effort sure to face major resistance from the many leaders within the party who have already stressed their support for the incumbent president.

A Politico column by Jonathan Martin published Friday morning broke the news, saying that Phillips is set to meet with some Democratic donors in New York City soon about a potential run. Martin also wrote that Phillips "is highly unlikely to mount a primary challenge unless Biden's health worsens or his political standing drops precipitously."

The stance tracks with how Phillips, 54, has approached Biden's future for around a year.

"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," Phillips said in a statement last July. Before Biden announced his re-election run earlier this year, Phillips noted that he wants to see competition.

Biden's age is a concern as he runs for a second term. He is the oldest sitting president in U.S. history and at the start of a potential second term would be 82.

Donald Trump is seen as the front-runner on the Republican side as he looks to reclaim the White House while facing a field of GOP challengers. Trump will turn 78 a few months before the 2024 general election.

The potential of Trump returning to power has deeply alarmed many Democrats who have rallied behind Biden in hopes of keeping that from happening. Author Marianne Williamson and anti-vaccine voice Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are Biden's main challengers in the Democratic primary so far, but they are not seen as viable competition.