mobanmarketPete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., is forming an exploratory committee to run for president, he announced Wednesday, making him the eighth major Democrat to throw his hat in the ring to take on President Donald Trump in 2020.
In a video announcing his exploratory committee, Buttigieg framed himself as offering a new generation of leadership and a fresh start for the country. At 37, Buttigieg would be the first millennial president if he were elected.
Buttigieg was first elected mayor of South Bend in 2011, when he was 29, and won reelection in 2015. In his announcement Wednesday, he touted the revival of South Bend, his hometown, after nearly a decade of his leadership. Though he did not mention the president by name, Buttigieg referenced Trump’s "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan, saying “there is no such thing as again.”
A Navy Reserve veteran, Buttigieg deployed to Afghanistan for seven months during his first term as mayor. He would also be the first openly gay president.
Buttigieg ran to be chairman of the Democratic National Committee in 2017, placing third behind winner Tom Perez and Keith Ellison. The mayor’s name has long been mentioned among possible 2020 contenders, despite his low national profile compared to potential competitors like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Vice President Joe Biden.
The South Bend mayor joins an already crowded Democratic field for 2020 that includes Sens. Kamala Harris of California, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, former Rep. John Delaney of Maryland, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, former West Virginia state Sen. Richard Ojeda and businessman Andrew Yang.
The Republican National Committee on Wednesday disputed Buttigieg’s claims about transforming South Bend, calling his candidacy a waste of his time.
"His bid isn’t just bad news for residents, it’s more proof that Democrats are about to endure the most crowded, divisive, and contentious primary in history," RNC spokesman Michael Ahrens said in a statement.