Four years ago, he was the millennial mayor of one of the smallest cities in America, and now Pete Buttigieg is being eyed as a possible running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Buttigieg, Biden’s transportation secretary, has been coy about his potential for the role but has not ruled it out.
“I’m flattered to be mentioned in this context,” he told ABC’s “The View” on Friday. “It’s a very important choice and she’s going to make the choice that is right for her, the ticket and the campaign, but most of all for the country. “
He has come a long way from his hometown of South Bend, Indiana, to his mark as a Cabinet member in Washington, D.C.
Buttigieg, 42, graduated from St. Joseph High School in 2000 and then Harvard University four years later. He then studied at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes scholar, graduating in 2007 with a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics.
Buttigieg worked for a consulting firm after graduating from Oxford, taking a year off in 2008 to work on the campaign staff for Jill Long Thompson’s bid for Indiana governor.
He joined the U.S. Naval Reserve in 2009 and was assigned to the Naval Intelligence Office. Buttigieg’s first major political campaign was in 2010 when he ran for Indiana state treasurer but lost to incumbent Richard Mourdock.
The next year, he ran for mayor of South Bend and won with over 74% of the vote, becoming known as “Mayor Pete.” When he assumed office in 2011, the then-29-year-old Buttigieg became the second-youngest mayor in South Bend history and the youngest mayor of a U.S. city with at least 100,000 residents.
He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2014 for seven months as part of his reserve duties.
Buttigieg successfully ran for reelection in 2015. .That same year he came out as gay, making him the first openly LGBTQ South Bend mayor. He would marry Chasten Glezman in 2018 and the couple would adopt fraternal twins in September 2021.
Buttigieg first set his sights on national office in 2017 when he vied to be the chair of the Democratic National Committee. He eventually dropped out of the race on the day of the election.
In 2019, Buttigieg announced he was running for the Democratic nomination in the 2020 presidential election. Despite his relatively unknown status on the national stage compared to then-former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris, Buttigieg’s polling ranked him high as the campaign went on, especially following his performance in the Democratic primary debates.
He went on to win the 2020 Iowa caucus and came second in the New Hampshire primary. Buttigieg would not have the same success in other primary races and bowed out of the race on March 1, 2020.
Buttigieg would become a strong surrogate for the Biden-Harris campaign throughout the election, going viral on occasions for his interviews with conservative media discussing the Democrats’ position. He also helped Harris prepare for her vice-presidential debate against Mike Pence.
Biden nominated Buttigieg to transportation secretary and he was confirmed by the Senate in February 2021. Buttigieg has pushed for improved road safety and worked to clear up the supply chain issues that affected consumer goods in 2021.
Buttigieg has continued to be a surrogate for the Biden-Harris campaign and has defended them against GOP criticism.
During an appearance on “Fox News Sunday” on July 28, Buttigieg brushed back against GOP claims that the influx of migrants has led to an increase in crime, stating that crime has gone down, and flipped the age attack line that Trump had used to hit Biden against the former president.
“I’m pretty sure voters are worried about the age and acuity of President Trump compared to Kamala Harris who represents a generation younger,” Buttigieg said. “And how can anybody not watch the things he’s saying, the rambling on the trail, and not be just a little bit concerned.”
Buttigieg has been seen as a potential running mate for Harris and has had the support of some Democrats, such as South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn.
