South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg wades into presidential race
South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg is tossing his hat into the ring, launching an exploratory committee for president.
In a video released on social media, Buttigieg portrayed himself as someone who is fed up with the old ways of the past and represents a generational shift.
"The show in Washington right now is exhausting. The corruption, the fighting, the lying, the crisis. It’s got to end," he says.
"The reality is: There’s no going back and there’s no such thing as again in the real world. We can’t look for greatness in the past. Right now our country needs a fresh start."
At just 37 years old, the Afghanistan veteran, Rhodes scholar and former candidate for Democratic National Committee chairman, the mayor has a long resume for someone whose just barely old enough to meet the Constitutional age requirement to run for president. Buttigieg alluded to much of that resume during his announcement video, which includes footage of South Bend, him standing with his partner, and during his time in the Navy.
But he lacks the recognition, both across the country and in key primary states, of many of the other Democratic presidential hopefuls. And as the mayor of the 100,000-person South Bend, Buttigieg has never served in federal office.
Both of those issues could be significant in the crowded field filled with established names and strong national fundraisers. But he could also those weaknesses to his advantage, to paint himself as a fresh face who is not "of Washington."
Buttigieg has been seen as a prime candidate for higher office over the past few years, and he's been the subject of numerous newspaper and magazine profiles recently focusing on his political potential.
That speculation only increased when he announced he wouldn't run for reelection to his mayoral office, and as he embarked on the typical trappings of a possible presidential candidate—traveling to Iowa and penning a book to be released in February.