Pete Buttigieg – “Technocrat Communicator”
When we make our contenders list for 2028, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has to be at the top of the list. Outperforming his resume in municipal politics Mayor Pete gave Joe Biden a run for his money until he transitioned to being one of Biden’s best overall surrogates. Pete is smart, knowledgeable, and thinks on his feet. He can represent the progressive position on hostile media better than anyone.
Background
Personal Life
Born on January 19, 1982, in South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg graduated from Harvard and Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. He worked in the private sector at McKinsey & Company. He was an intelligence officer in the Navy Reserve rising to the rank of Lieutenant. He was deployed to Afghanistan for seven months in 2014. While serving as Mayor of South Bend he came out as gay in 2015. He married Chasten Glezman, a schoolteacher and writer, in June 2018. In 2021 the couple adopted newborn fraternal twins. In July 2022, the Buttigiegs made Chasten’s hometown of Traverse City, Michigan their primary residence.
Campaign History
In 2011 Pete Buttigieg was elected mayor of South Bend with 74% of the vote. He ran on a platform to reinvigorate South Bend through job creation and education. His 1,000 properties in 1,000 days to rejuvenate or demolish blighted properties reached its goal two months early. He launched a 3-1-1 system and successfully championed the River Lights nightly laser display on the St. Joseph River. Not a bad series of accomplishments for also completing a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
In 2015, during the controversy over Indiana Senate Bill 101, which was widely criticized for allowing discrimination against the LGBT community – Buttigieg emerged as a leading opponent of the legislation. Amidst his reelection campaign, he came out as gay and was reelected Mayor with over 80% of the vote.
Mayor Pete’s national profile rose as a dark horse candidate for DNC Chair, campaigning on the need to empower its millennial members in 2017. He withdrew from the race on the day of the election and Secretary of Labor Tom Perez was elected.
In 2019 he sought the Democratic Party nomination for president. Initially regarded as a long-shot candidate he squeaked out a win over Bernie Sanders in Iowa and second behind Sanders in Vermont. After placing 4th in South Carolina, he dropped out of the race and endorsed Biden. He was confirmed as Secretary of Transportation in 2021, with a vote of 86-13.
Record as Secretary
Buttigieg launched a $1 billion Reconnecting Communities pilot program to reconnect communities of color with bus rapid transit, pedestrian walkways, and planning studies to redress historic wrongs done through legacy federal transportation programs. After the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Buttigieg was the most consequential transportation secretary ever overseeing $210 billion in discretionary grants.
Buttigieg opposed the proposed merger of Spirt and Frontier Airlines which would have reduced competition. In 2024 Buttigieg announced a rule requiring airlines to automatically provide refunds to passengers whose flights are cancelled.
Values
Buttigieg’s leadership is shaped by his personal resume balancing a strong progressive agenda with the pragmatic realities to make real change. His core values include:
Embracing change to address the challenges of working-class people through regulatory reform, technocratic improvements, and increased public funding for education and infrastructure. Buttigieg is a democratic capitalist who wants to harness the private sector for investment and job creation while also strengthening the social safety net.
Buttigieg has been described as a pragmatic progressive. His values are informed by his Midwest Christian roots and harken back to the social gospel movement. He prizes implementable solutions that address vexing social problems.
Buttigieg’s greatest strength is his ability to communicate a strong progressive position in a way that generates common ground. He will engage and hold his own even in the most oppositional environments.
Potential for 2028 Candidacy
Campaign Experience
Coming after his successful 2020 campaign where he exceeded expectations, his cabinet-level experience and frequent appearances on Fox News and other media outlets give him serious advantages in name recognition, campaign infrastructure, and an improved resume from his last effort. Buttigieg is both moderate, and pragmatic, and commands a passionate base of democratic supporters usually reserved for populist rabble-rousers. Mayor Pete’s identity as a gay man activates social progressives but is nicely balanced by his experience as a combat Veteran.
Positive Attributes
Excellent Communicator: Buttigieg is unparalleled in his ability to communicate on television. He is smart, relatable, and quick-witted.
Compelling Resume: As a combat Veteran, gay man, cabinet member, and local elected official Pete has a lot of personal experiences to draw on.
Strong Base of Support: Pete’s base of support from his presidential run has continued to follow him and Chasten closely and amplify his messaging. He has a star quality that would be hard to replicate.
Experienced Campaigner: Having successfully organized a presidential campaign he knows what it takes to be successful.
Base of Knowledge: Pete is smart, has a deep understanding of all levels of government, and understands the economy and the private sector.
Challenges
Race: Buttigieg has a mixed record around race in South Bend. His underperformance with Black voters was a fatal flaw in 2020 he will have to address for a successful run. His substantial work on equity issues as transportation secretary and his ability to thread the needle to talk about racial justice and activate working-class white voters will be tested if he decides to run.
Senate Run: Buttigieg may choose to run for Senate in Michigan. He is young enough to wait for another opportunity with an enhanced resume and track record of success in an important swing state.
Position in the Political Landscape
Pete’s resume and talent set would make him an instant front-runner in a Democratic primary. His pragmatic progressivism would both do well in a democratic primary and still be able to win a competitive general election. As transportation secretary Mayor Pete addressed the great issues of the day and ran his department effectively and progressively.
Pete’s technocratic skillset could make him an influential architect of the next age as the damage to norms, government operations, and relationships need to be restored and enhanced in the next presidency. He has proven experience as a reformer/manager in both South Bend and the Department of Transportation. Pete’s deep roots in municipal issues give him a unique position to address housing affordability through national zoning reform to address our deepest challenges.
Conclusion
Pete Buttigieg is a strong contender for the 2028 presidential race. His intelligence, communication, resume, and passionate support base make his experience as a campaigner and fundraiser even more valuable. His Midwest roots will help the Democrats compete in the critical Blue Wall states. His lack of success in courting Black voters may have been addressed by his strong work on equity in the Biden administration.
Likelihood: Strong potential but he may find the opportunity to be the next Senator from Michigan too tempting to pass up. Should he decide to run he will likely do well and could very well be a transformative nominee and architect of a revitalized federal system.
What are your thoughts on Pete Buttigieg? Will he run - Should he run - What are his chances? Let me know in the comments below.
