Pete Buttigieg is a man on the move! He has actively run for Treasury Secretary, mayor of South Bend, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and even president of the United States in 2020.
He is one of President Biden’s most visible and newly influential members of the cabinet at the age of 39. Even though Buttigieg has been mentioned as a possible Biden successor, he says he’s not worrying about what to do next.
He Seems to Enjoy the Limelight
“I’d say there are some other things I’m truly starting to enjoy about this position, despite the fact it’s very challenging and obviously requires a lot. This is the first time in about a decade I haven’t had to think about initiatives and elections,” Buttigieg told Politico on Friday.
He was surrounded by people wearing safety helmets and yellow reflector vests in a construction area near Terminal 4 at Phoenix Sky Harbor Aerodrome.
While Buttigieg claims he isn’t thinking about running for president, some people in the West Wing are thinking about it. Aides have mentioned Buttigieg as a possible Democrat nominee for president in 2028 — or 2024 if the president decides not to run.
The infrastructure law is a huge opportunity for Pete Buttigieg – he gains billions to award to projects in every corner of the country.
Grants announced today show how he might put talk about the environment and racial equity into action. W/@mikelaris https://t.co/NgGeX25B55
— Ian Duncan (@iduncan) November 20, 2021
One individual with actual knowledge of the exchanges stated, “Nobody in the West Wing turns that down.”
Many black employees are irritated by the chatter, believing it is insulting to Kamala Harris, the very first black female vice president; they also believe senior officials should intervene.
Given how important the minority vote is in any primary race, and how Buttigieg battled to recruit those votes the previous time around, some of Buttigieg’s previous campaign workers wonder if defeating Harris is even possible.
Not Much Happening with Buttigieg’s Campaign Website
Win the Era, the campaign committee Buttigieg founded in the wake of the presidential election, is generally silent; although, the website is still up and running.
It has been hosting infrequent events, like the one on Nov. 15. As per filings and disbursement records, former campaign advisers Maxwell Nunes and Michael Halle have been assisting in keeping the committee afloat.
Pete Buttigieg had less than 1% name recognition in this country in Jan. 2019. Just over a year later he won the Iowa caucus and was in the top 3 when he dropped out of the primary. Another year later, he’s now a powerful cabinet Secretary.
He turns 40 next year. https://t.co/oebLYBpWgo
— SevenDicey (@SevenDicey) November 18, 2021
“We work incredibly well with the vice president’s staff. I’m pleased to be part of the Biden-Harris crew and this government,” Buttigieg said in response to allegations of a developing rivalry with the vice president.
Buttigieg is getting a sense of what it’s like to pitch a presidential campaign. Time will tell if he chooses to run. On Friday, Buttigieg was already in Phoenix for a trio of meetings promoting building projects and tackling supply chain challenges.
This includes locales that could benefit from the government’s recently enacted infrastructure funding package. At least two of the sessions were attended by Arizona Democrat Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema, as well as Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego.
