Standard Linux mint is is Ubuntu based, LMDE is debian based. Completely different depending on the issues they had.

Edit: but also plenty of other Debian based distros, including Debian itself would avoid direct Ubuntu (Canonical) and Fedora (RedHat) influence.

Linux Mint Debian Edition.

You say not to suggest mint, but you most probably used an Ubuntu based Mint so that doesn’t count.

Linux Mint Debian Edition.

Obviously you can’t completely rid yourself of all RedHat influence but Fedora is their literal upstream community testing ground and LMDE really does limit their influence heavily and that of Canonical (Ubuntu) by just building off of the more community based Debian (which Ubuntu built off of as well)