Peter Buttigieg announced his 2020 presidential campaign yesterday.
Buttigieg (pronounced BOOT-uh-judge) is currently the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and he’s a gay man.
In an email, he said that he is forming an exploratory committee for a 2020 presidential run. An exploratory committee is registered with the Federal Election Commission as a political campaign.
He said that his campaign would focus on “intergenerational justice.”
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“My generation is the generation that experienced school shootings beginning when I was in high school, the generation that fought in the post 9/11 wars, the first generation to have to deal with the reality of climate change, and the first generation not to be better off than our parents materially – if nothing changes,” he wrote in his announcement.
Related: South Bend’s gay mayor gets married and then the couple attend Pride
Buttigieg is 37-years-old, making him one of the youngest candidates to enter the race, tied with Representative Tulsi Gabbard, who is also 37. He may be the first candidate to enter the race that hasn’t had to apologize for something in their past.
“If you’re my age or younger, you were in high school when the school shootings became widespread, you’re going to be dealing with climate change for most of your adult life in specific, noticeable ways,” Buttigieg told The Atlantic.
Buttigieg, who is a Rhodes Scholar, is married to his husband Chasten.
The LGBTQ Victory Fund hailed his campaign announcement.
“An openly LGBTQ elected official forming a presidential exploratory committee is a historic and powerful moment for the LGBTQ community and the entire country,” said former Houston mayor and Victory Fund president Annise Parker.
“For the teenager in small-town America who is just coming to terms with their sexual orientation or gender identity, having an openly LGBTQ person running for the most important political office in the world will demonstrate there is no limit to what they can achieve – and that is transformative.”
Buttigieg joins several other candidates in the Democratic primary. Senator Kamala Harris (CA), Senator Elizabeth Warren (MA), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Representative Tulsi Gabbard (HI), former Representative John Delaney (MD), former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, former West Virginia state senator Richard Ojeda, and tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang have already announced their campaigns, and more Democrats are expected to announce in the coming weeks.
I launched a presidential exploratory committee because it is a season for boldness and it is time to focus on the future. Are you ready to walk away from the politics of the past?
Join the team at https://t.co/Xlqn10brgH. pic.twitter.com/K6aeOeVrO7
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) January 23, 2019
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