According to The New York Times, there are currently 18 different democratic candidates running for president in 2020, but one currently stands out as different from the pack: Pete Buttigieg.
The 37-year-old announced his candidacy on Apr. 14. Buttigieg studied at Harvard University and also as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford. He was elected mayor of South Bend, Ind. in 2011, though he took a seven-month unpaid leave to serve as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserve in Afghanistan. He is currently in his eighth and final year as mayor, the position from which he is hoping to slingshot into the presidency in 2020.
Although the young progressive was initially disregarded by many, Buttigieg’s participation in the presidential race feels important. If elected, he would be the youngest president in history. Despite Buttigieg’s youth, his website boasts, “Pete has more years of government experience than the president, more years of executive government experience than the vice president, and more military experience than anybody to walk into the Oval Office since President George H. W. Bush.”
Buttigieg would also be history’s first openly gay president. He lives with his husband, Chasten, and has branded himself as a pro-LGBTQ candidate, both commending the Supreme Court marriage equality ruling that changed his life and condemning the current presidential administration for erosion of LGBTQ rights.
He has built a campaign around the idea of looking toward the future. Buttigieg claims to have his sights set not just on 2024, but on 2040, 2050, even 2054, when he will reach the age of the current president. Some criticize Buttigieg for his lack of strong stances on the hot-ticket issues, but he seems to hold steady, according to On The Issues, as pro-choice, pro-Green New Deal and in favor of radical action to combat climate change, pro-civil rights, pro-gun control, anti-electoral college and in favor of Medicare and single rate health care.
The New York Times reports that Buttigieg has seen exceptional social media success, particularly for his linguistic and musical talent alongside his stances on the issues. His campaign also apparently saw a huge surge of funding recently, which could boost his viability as a true contender. Only time will tell if the young Midwestern favorite will find success in the months leading up to the 2020 election.
