WASHINGTON: Pete Buttigieg, the Democratic mayor of South Bend, Indiana, launched an underdog 2020 bid for the White House on Wednesday.
The relatively unknown Buttigieg, 37, a two-term mayor of the Rust Belt city of about 100,000 people, has argued the party needs new leadership that can appeal to the working-class voters who deserted Democrats in favour of Republican Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential race.
In an e-mail and video to supporters, he sought to embrace fresh solutions for the future, in contrast to Trump’s nostalgia-driven message invoking an America of the past.
“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,” Buttigieg said.
“Only a forward focus — untethered from the politics of the past and anchored by our shared values — can change our national politics and our nation’s future.”
Buttigieg enters what is expected to be a crowded Democratic field of candidates vying for the right to challenge Trump, the likely Republican presidential nominee, in 2020. The mayor formed an exploratory committee to begin raising money and hiring staff to compete for the Democratic nomination.
He will face a tough task raising money and building a coalition of support in a race that will feature many candidates with greater name recognition and bigger donor networks.
Other Democratic rivals for the nomination include US Senators Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Kirsten Gillibrand as well as US Representative Tulsi Gabbard and former San Antonio mayor and US housing secretary Julian Castro.
On Wednesday, Buttigieg acknowledged the odds but touted his unique candidacy, saying, “At a moment like this, underdog campaigns will go further than the establishment would normally allow, when it comes to bold ideas that can truly meet the threats and opportunities coming our way.”
Buttigieg began building a national profile in 2017 with an unsuccessful run for chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Former President Barack Obama mentioned him in an interview shortly before leaving the White House as a young Democrat with a bright future.
The Harvard graduate and former Rhodes Scholar returned to his hometown of South Bend and was elected mayor in 2012 at the age of 29. He served a seven-month Naval Reserve tour in Afghanistan while mayor.
As mayor of South Bend, a blue-collar town that is home to the University of Notre Dame, Buttigieg made redevelopment a top priority. — Reuters
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
