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For months, Dean Phillips has been calling for a Democratic primary challenge to President聽Joe Biden. He鈥檚 drawn no public interest from governors, lawmakers, and other would-be alternatives.

The Minnesota congressman is finally entering the race himself.

The three-term Minnesota congressman is finally entering the race himself, telling a Friday event outside New Hampshire鈥檚 statehouse, 鈥淚 am today announcing my candidacy for the presidency of the United States of America.鈥�

Mr. Phillips, one of Congress鈥� wealthiest members, has been effusive in his praise for Mr. Biden but also says their party needs younger voices to avoid a nightmare scenario where Donald Trump is reelected next fall.

While Mr. Phillips is highly unlikely to beat Mr. Biden, a run would offer a symbolic challenge to national Democrats trying to project the idea that there is no reason to doubt the president鈥檚 electability 鈥� even as many Americans question whether the 80-year-old Mr. Biden should serve another term.

Mr. Phillips may also benefit from聽New Hampshire Democrats angry at Mr. Biden for diluting their state鈥檚 influence聽on the 2024 Democratic primary calendar, a change that state party chairman Ray Buckley has warned could create a 鈥減otential embarrassment鈥� by 鈥渁n insurgent candidate, serious or not.鈥�

In a campaign video posted online, Mr. Phillips promises to traipse through the snow to greet voters and 鈥渇ix the economy,鈥� a swipe at Mr. Biden who has made job and Gross Domestic Product growth a key of a reelection bid built around the slogan 鈥淏idenomics.鈥�

Kevin Munoz, a spokesman for Mr. Biden鈥檚 reelection campaign said the president 鈥渋s proud of the historic, unified support he has from across the Democratic Party for his reelection.鈥�

鈥淭he stakes of next year鈥檚 election could not be higher for the American people, and the campaign is hard at work mobilizing the winning coalition that President Biden can uniquely bring together to once again beat the MAGA Republicans next November,鈥� Mr. Munoz said, referring to Trump鈥檚 鈥淢ake America Great Again鈥� movement.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also noted earlier in the week Mr. Phillips鈥� voting record and said, 鈥淲e appreciate the congressman鈥檚 almost 100% support of this president.鈥� And, though Mr. Biden won鈥檛 officially run in New Hampshire鈥檚 primary and will be requiring a write-in campaign. the president is planning to head next week to Mr. Phillips鈥� home state for an official event and fundraiser.

The president has long cast himself as uniquely qualified to beat聽Donald Trump聽again after his 2020 win, and top Democrats聽have lined up聽behind him聽while also positioning themselves聽for a future primary run.

Moments before Mr. Phillips even announced, Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz sent a Biden reelection campaign fundraising email titled 鈥淢innesotans love Joe Biden鈥� and taking an indirect swipe at the congressman, writing that some of his state鈥檚 residents sometimes 鈥渕ake political side shows for themselves.鈥�

Mr. Phillips has already missed the deadline to enter Nevada鈥檚 primary and is little known nationally. But he argues Mr. Biden may not be able to beat Mr. Trump again, telling CBS News that polling suggests 鈥渨e鈥檙e going to be facing an emergency next November.鈥�

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 time for a new generation,鈥� he told the network. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 time to pass the torch.鈥�

New Hampshire primary challenges have a history of wounding incumbent presidents.

In 1968, another Minnesotan, Democratic Sen. Eugene McCarthy, built his campaign around opposing the Vietnam War and finished second in New Hampshire鈥檚 primary, helping push President Lyndon Johnson into forgoing a second term. Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy鈥檚 challenge of President Jimmy Carter and Pat Buchanan鈥檚 run against President George H.W. Bush both failed, but Mr. Carter and Mr. Bush ultimately lost their reelection bids.

The state鈥檚 influence on Democrats was curtailed this year by changes engineered by the DNC at Mr. Biden鈥檚 behest.

A聽new Democratic calendar has South Carolina聽leading off presidential primary voting on聽Feb. 3聽and Nevada going three days later. New Hampshire has refused to comply, citing state laws saying its primary must go first, and plans a primary before South Carolina鈥檚. The DNC could, in turn, strip the state of its nominating delegates.

Steve Shurtleff, a former speaker of the New Hampshire House who has distanced himself from Mr. Biden, said he has spoken twice with Mr. Phillips and believed the congressman might appeal to some Democrats and independents who can choose to vote in the primary.

鈥淚 like Biden and have a lot of respect for him. But I鈥檓 disappointed that he and the DNC have tried to take away our primary,鈥� Mr. Shurtleff said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not that I want to see Joe lose. It鈥檚 that I want to see our primary win.鈥�

But Terry Shumaker, a former DNC member from New Hampshire and longtime Biden supporter, said he expects the president to easily clinch the state as a write-in option. Mr. Shumaker recalled going door to door for Mr. McCarthy in 1968, but doesn鈥檛 see Mr. Phillips gaining similar traction.

鈥淚鈥檓 not aware of what his message is,鈥� he said. 鈥淭o do well in the New Hampshire primary, you have to have a message.鈥�

There are no primary debates scheduled, according to the DNC. The only other Democrat running in the 2024 primary is self-help author聽Marianne Williamson. Anti-vaccine activist聽Robert F. Kennedy Jr.聽announced this month that he鈥檚聽running as an independent.

Mr. Phillips is heir to his stepfather鈥檚 Phillips Distilling Company empire, which holds major vodka and schnapps brands. He once served as that company鈥檚 president but also ran the gelato maker Talenti. His grandmother was the late Pauline Phillips, better known as the advice columnist 鈥淒ear Abby.鈥�

Driving a gelato truck was a centerpiece of his first House campaign in 2018, when Mr. Phillips unseated five-term Republican Erik Paulsen. While his district in mostly affluent greater Minneapolis has become more Democratic-leaning, Phillips has stressed that he is a moderate focused on his suburban constituents. He is a member of the centrist Problem Solvers Caucus in Congress.

Mr. Phillips has been suggesting since the summer that top Democrats challenge Mr. Biden for their party鈥檚 nomination but has been ignored by governors and other top elected officials. He told CBS in the interview on Friday that he hoped his announcing would encourage other primary challengers saying of competition 鈥渨e need it.鈥�

Challenging his party鈥檚 leadership isn鈥檛 new for Mr. Phillips. When he first got to Congress, he spoke of the need for a 鈥渘ew generation鈥� of Democrats to replace then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and was frustrated when no one emerged. He later praised Ms. Pelosi as 鈥渙ne of the most successful speakers of all time.鈥�

Still, he鈥檚 not the only one voicing concerns now. An聽AP-NORC poll released in August聽found that the top words associated with Mr. Biden were 鈥渙ld鈥� and 鈥渃onfused.鈥� Nearly 70% of Democrats and 77% of U.S. adults said they thought Mr. Biden was too old to be effective for four more years. The same poll found that respondents most frequently described Mr. Trump as 鈥渃orrupt鈥� and 鈥渄ishonest.鈥�

Leslie Blanding, a retired teacher and Democrat from Bow, New Hampshire, said she did not know Mr. Phillips but was 鈥渢horoughly conflicted鈥� over whether Mr. Biden should face a primary challenger.

鈥淚 think Biden is too old. I think from the outset, he should鈥檝e been looking to groom someone to succeed him, and he didn鈥檛 do that,鈥� said Ms. Blanding. 鈥淏ut I think he seems to be the only one positioned to have a strong chance of defeating Trump or whomever.鈥�

This story was reported by The Associated Press. Will Weissert reported from Washington. AP national political writer Steve Peoples in New York and AP writer Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis contributed to this report.