Pete Buttigieg
Peter Paul Montgomery "Pete" Buttigieg (b. Jan. 19, 1982, inSouth Bend, Indiana) was the secretary of transportation in theBiden administration from 2021 to 2025. The Senate confirmed him on February 2, 2021, by a vote of 86-13.[1]
Buttigieg received bachelor's degrees from Harvard University and Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar. Before his time in political office, he worked as a consultant for McKinsey & Company and was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserve, completing a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2014.[2][3]
Buttigieg served as the mayor ofSouth Bend, Indiana, from 2012 to 2020.[4] While mayor, Buttigieg ran for chair of theDemocratic National Committee in 2017 but withdrew his candidacy before the first round of voting.[5] He ran as aDemocratic candidate for president in2020.[6] During his campaign, Buttigieg said, "I want to be able to look back on these years and say my generation delivered climate solutions, racial equality and an end to endless war."[7] Buttigieg won the2020 Iowa Democratic caucuses. He suspended his presidential campaign in March and endorsed former Vice PresidentJoe Biden (D).[8][9]
As secretary, Buttigieg oversees theDepartment of Transportation (DOT). According toReuters, the Biden administration’s spending on infrastructure has been "a dramatic boost for a Cabinet position that has historically drawn little public attention."[10]
TheInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 and theAmerican Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) passed since Buttigieg became the transportation secretary and included funding for DOT projects. The infrastructure law included funding for repairing and improving roads and bridges, public transportation, railways, and airports.[11] ARPA included funding for public transit and aviation during the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]
Buttigieg said he believed the United States historically under-invested in transportation and that the department should focus on maintaining and improving existing infrastructure. Referring to the amount of funding in the infrastructure law, Buttigieg said, "When it comes to roads and bridges, we haven’t invested at this level since the Eisenhower administration, since they built the interstate highway system in the first place.”[13]
Biography
Buttigieg was born in South Bend, Indiana, in 1982. He earned a bachelor's degree in history and literature from Harvard University. He also studied philosophy, politics, and economics at Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar.[14][15]
From 2007 to 2010, Buttigieg worked as a consultant for McKinsey & Company, specializing in economic development, business, logistics, and energy initiatives for government and private sector clients.[16][17] Before running for public office, Buttigieg worked for the campaigns of presidential candidate John Kerry as a research director in 2004 and Indiana gubernatorial candidate Jill Long Thompson as an advisor in 2008.[14] He became a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserve in 2009.
Buttigieg ran for treasurer of Indiana as a Democrat in 2010, losing in the general election to Richard Mourdock (R). The following year, he won the South Bend mayoral election with 74% of the vote. At the age of 29, he was the youngest mayor of a city with more than 100,000 residents.[18] In 2014, he took a leave of absence as mayor and completed a seven-month tour of duty in Afghanistan, earning the Joint Service Commendation Medal for his contributions to counterterrorism.[15] In 2015, during his re-election campaign, Buttigieg came out as gay in a column in a local paper.[19] He was re-elected mayor in 2015 with 80% of the vote.[20]
Buttigieg was a candidate for chair of theDemocratic National Committee in 2017 but withdrew his candidacy before a vote was held. He previously served as president of the Indiana Urban Mayors Caucus and on the boards of directors of theIndiana Association of Cities and Towns and the Truman National Security Project.
Career
Below is an abbreviated outline of Buttigieg's academic, professional, and political career:
- 2021-2025: U.S. secretary of transportation
- 2019-2020:Democratic presidential candidate
- 2012-2020: Mayor of South Bend, Indiana
- 2009-2017: Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserve
- 2007-2010: Consultant at McKinsey & Company
- 2007: Graduated from Pembroke College at Oxford University
- 2004: Graduated from Harvard Universitymagna cum laude
Nomination for secretary of transportation
- See also:Joe Biden presidential administration andConfirmation process for Pete Buttigieg for secretary of transportation
| Joe Biden's Cabinet | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate:Pete Buttigieg | ||
| Position:Secretary of Transportation | ||
 a | Announced: | December 15, 2020 |
| a | Hearing: | January 21, 2021 |
| a | Committee: | Commerce, Science, and Transportation |
| a | Reported: | Favorable (21-3) |
| a | Confirmed: | February 2, 2021 |
| a | Vote: | 86-13 |
PresidentJoe Biden (D) announced on December 15, 2020, that he had selected Buttigieg as his nominee forsecretary of transportation.[21]
Biden said of his nomination, "Mayor Pete Buttigieg is a patriot and a problem-solver who speaks to the best of who we are as a nation. I am nominating him for Secretary of Transportation because this position stands at the nexus of so many of the interlocking challenges and opportunities ahead of us. Jobs, infrastructure, equity, and climate all come together at the DOT, the site of some of our most ambitious plans to build back better. I trust Mayor Pete to lead this work with focus, decency, and a bold vision — he will bring people together to get big things done.”[22]
TheSenate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a confirmation hearing for Buttigieg on January 21, 2021. The Senate confirmed him on February 2, 2021, by a vote of 86-13. He is the first openly gay person to be confirmed to a Cabinet position.[23]
| Summary of Senate vote on Pete Buttigieg's nomination for secretary of transportation (February 2, 2021) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes for | Votes against | Not voting |
 Democrats | 48 | 0 | 0 |
 Republicans | 36 | 13 | 1 |
 Independents | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 86 | 13 | 1 |
Click on the following table to view the full roll call.
| Senate vote on Pete Buttigieg's nomination for secretary of transportation (February 2, 2021) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Richard Shelby | Republican | No |
| Alabama | Tommy Tuberville | Republican | No |
| Alaska | Lisa Murkowski | Republican | Yes |
| Alaska | Dan Sullivan | Republican | Yes |
| Arizona | Kyrsten Sinema | Democrat | Yes |
| Arizona | Mark Kelly | Democrat | Yes |
| Arkansas | John Boozman | Republican | Yes |
| Arkansas | Tom Cotton | Republican | No |
| California | Dianne Feinstein | Democrat | Yes |
| California | Alex Padilla | Democrat | Yes |
| Colorado | Michael F. Bennet | Democrat | Yes |
| Colorado | John Hickenlooper | Democrat | Yes |
| Connecticut | Richard Blumenthal | Democrat | Yes |
| Connecticut | Chris Murphy | Democrat | Yes |
| Delaware | Tom Carper | Democrat | Yes |
| Delaware | Chris Coons | Democrat | Yes |
| Florida | Rick Scott | Republican | No |
| Florida | Marco Rubio | Republican | No |
| Georgia | Jon Ossoff | Democrat | Yes |
| Georgia | Raphael Warnock | Democrat | Yes |
| Hawaii | Mazie Hirono | Democrat | Yes |
| Hawaii | Brian Schatz | Democrat | Yes |
| Idaho | Mike Crapo | Republican | Yes |
| Idaho | James E. Risch | Republican | Yes |
| Illinois | Dick Durbin | Democrat | Yes |
| Illinois | Tammy Duckworth | Democrat | Yes |
| Indiana | Mike Braun | Republican | Yes |
| Indiana | Todd Young | Republican | Yes |
| Iowa | Chuck Grassley | Republican | Yes |
| Iowa | Joni Ernst | Republican | Yes |
| Kansas | Roger Marshall | Republican | No |
| Kansas | Jerry Moran | Republican | Yes |
| Kentucky | Mitch McConnell | Republican | Yes |
| Kentucky | Rand Paul | Republican | Yes |
| Louisiana | Bill Cassidy | Republican | No |
| Louisiana | John Kennedy | Republican | Yes |
| Maine | Susan Collins | Republican | Yes |
| Maine | Angus King | Independent | Yes |
| Maryland | Benjamin L. Cardin | Democrat | Yes |
| Maryland | Chris Van Hollen | Democrat | Yes |
| Massachusetts | Elizabeth Warren | Democrat | Yes |
| Massachusetts | Ed Markey | Democrat | Yes |
| Michigan | Debbie Stabenow | Democrat | Yes |
| Michigan | Gary Peters | Democrat | Yes |
| Minnesota | Amy Klobuchar | Democrat | Yes |
| Minnesota | Tina Smith | Democrat | Yes |
| Mississippi | Roger Wicker | Republican | Yes |
| Mississippi | Cindy Hyde-Smith | Republican | Yes |
| Missouri | Josh Hawley | Republican | No |
| Missouri | Roy Blunt | Republican | Yes |
| Montana | Steve Daines | Republican | Yes |
| Montana | Jon Tester | Democrat | Yes |
| Nebraska | Deb Fischer | Republican | Yes |
| Nebraska | Ben Sasse | Republican | Yes |
| Nevada | Jacky Rosen | Democrat | Yes |
| Nevada | Catherine Cortez Masto | Democrat | Yes |
| New Hampshire | Jeanne Shaheen | Democrat | Yes |
| New Hampshire | Maggie Hassan | Democrat | Yes |
| New Jersey | Robert Menendez | Democrat | Yes |
| New Jersey | Cory Booker | Democrat | Yes |
| New Mexico | Ben Ray Luján | Democrat | Yes |
| New Mexico | Martin Heinrich | Democrat | Yes |
| New York | Charles E. Schumer | Democrat | Yes |
| New York | Kirsten Gillibrand | Democrat | Yes |
| North Carolina | Richard Burr | Republican | Yes |
| North Carolina | Thom Tillis | Republican | Yes |
| North Dakota | John Hoeven | Republican | Yes |
| North Dakota | Kevin Cramer | Republican | Yes |
| Ohio | Rob Portman | Republican | Yes |
| Ohio | Sherrod Brown | Democrat | Yes |
| Oklahoma | James M. Inhofe | Republican | Yes |
| Oklahoma | James Lankford | Republican | No |
| Oregon | Ron Wyden | Democrat | Yes |
| Oregon | Jeff Merkley | Democrat | Yes |
| Pennsylvania | Pat Toomey | Republican | Not voting |
| Pennsylvania | Robert P. Casey | Democrat | Yes |
| Rhode Island | Jack Reed | Democrat | Yes |
| Rhode Island | Sheldon Whitehouse | Democrat | Yes |
| South Carolina | Lindsey Graham | Republican | Yes |
| South Carolina | Tim Scott | Republican | No |
| South Dakota | John Thune | Republican | Yes |
| South Dakota | Mike Rounds | Republican | Yes |
| Tennessee | Bill Hagerty | Republican | No |
| Tennessee | Marsha Blackburn | Republican | No |
| Texas | John Cornyn | Republican | Yes |
| Texas | Ted Cruz | Republican | No |
| Utah | Mitt Romney | Republican | Yes |
| Utah | Mike Lee | Republican | Yes |
| Vermont | Patrick Leahy | Democrat | Yes |
| Vermont | Bernie Sanders | Independent | Yes |
| Virginia | Mark R. Warner | Democrat | Yes |
| Virginia | Tim Kaine | Democrat | Yes |
| Washington | Maria Cantwell | Democrat | Yes |
| Washington | Patty Murray | Democrat | Yes |
| West Virginia | Shelley Moore Capito | Republican | Yes |
| West Virginia | Joe Manchin | Democrat | Yes |
| Wisconsin | Ron Johnson | Republican | Yes |
| Wisconsin | Tammy Baldwin | Democrat | Yes |
| Wyoming | John Barrasso | Republican | Yes |
| Wyoming | Cynthia Lummis | Republican | Yes |
Elections
2020
Presidency
- See also:Presidential candidates, 2020
Former Vice PresidentJoe Biden (D) won thepresidential election on November 3, 2020. Biden received 306electoral votes and PresidentDonald Trump (R) received 232 electoral votes. In the national popular vote, Biden received 81.2 million votes and Trump received 74.2 million votes.
Buttigieg announced he was running for president on January 23, 2019.[6] He suspended his presidential campaign on March 1, 2020.[8]
Ballotpedia has compiled the following resources about Buttigieg and the 2020 presidential election:
- Buttigieg's 2020 presidential campaign overview.
- Recent news stories about the 2020 presidential election;
- An overview of keynational and state campaign staffers;
- Endorsements from politicians, public figures, and organizations;
- An overview ofcandidate campaign travel; and
- A list of other presidential candidates who are running for election.
2017
The more than 400 members of theDemocratic National Committee (DNC) selected a new chair to succeed interim Chairwoman Donna Brazile in February 2017. Buttigieg announced his candidacy for the position on January 5, 2017.[4]
"I can’t think of something more meaningful than organizing the opposition in the face of what I think will be a pretty monstrous presidency and challenging time out here in the states,” Buttigieg toldThe New York Times. "Sitting back and waiting for the map and demographics to save us—that’s not going to be enough.”[24]
Buttigieg withdrew his candidacy prior to the first round of voting at the DNC meeting on February 25, 2017. Former U.S. Secretary of LaborTom Perez was elected DNC chairman on the second round of voting with 235 votes.[5]
2015
Buttigieg won re-election as mayor ofSouth Bend, Indiana.
2011
Buttigieg was elected mayor ofSouth Bend, Indiana, in 2011 and assumed office on January 1, 2012. At the age of 29, he was the youngest mayor of a city with more than 100,000 residents in the nation.[16][17][25]
2010
Buttigieg was aDemocratic candidate forIndiana treasurer in 2010, but he lost in the general election to formerState TreasurerRichard Mourdock(R).[25]
Ballot measure activity
The following table details Buttigieg's ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:
| Ballot measure support and opposition for Pete Buttigieg | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballot measure | Year | Position | Status |
| California Proposition 15, Tax on Commercial and Industrial Properties for Education and Local Government Funding Initiative (2020) | 2020 | Supported[26] | |
| Los Angeles Unified School District, California, Measure EE, Parcel Tax (June 2019) | 2019 | Supported[27] |  d Defeated |
Noteworthy events
Reported as possible 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee
- See also:Vice presidential candidates, 2024
Media reports discussed Buttigieg as a possible 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate.[28] Vice PresidentKamala Harris (D) selected Minnesota GovernorTim Walz (D) as her running mate on August 6, 2024.[29]
In2020, PresidentJoe Biden (D) announced Vice PresidentKamala Harris (D) as his running mate six days before the start of theDemocratic National Convention (DNC). In 2016, bothHillary Clinton (D) and Trump announced their running mates three days before the DNC and RNC, respectively.
See also
External links
- Pete Buttigieg on Twitter
- Pete Buttigieg on Facebook
- Pete for DNC homepage
- Pete for South Bend homepage
- City of South Bend homepage
Footnotes
- ↑NBC News, "Senate confirms Pete Buttigieg as transportation secretary," February 2, 2021
- ↑New York Times, "When Pete Buttigieg Was One of McKinsey’s 'Whiz Kids'," December 5, 2019
- ↑ABC News, "From intel analyst to a military 'Uber': Inside Mayor Pete Buttigieg's Afghanistan deployment," August 8, 2019
- ↑4.04.1Politico, "Indiana mayor announces for DNC chair," January 5, 2017
- ↑5.05.1Politico, "Perez elected DNC chairman," February 25, 2017
- ↑6.06.1Fortune, "Who Is Pete Buttigieg, the Latest Candidate to Join the Democratic Presidential Race for 2020," January 23, 2019
- ↑CNN, "Why should you vote for them? Here's what the candidates said in their final pitch," June 28, 2019
- ↑8.08.1FOX6, "Pete Buttigieg ending his race for Democratic presidential nomination," March 1, 2020
- ↑The New York Times, "Buttigieg and Klobuchar Endorse Biden, Aiming to Slow Sanders," March 2, 2020
- ↑Reuters, "U.S. infrastructure bill makes power broker of transportation chief Buttigieg," November 11, 2021
- ↑U.S. Department of Transportation, "Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Grant Programs," accessed March 28, 2024
- ↑Department of Transportation, "Fact Sheet: U.S. Department of Transportation Details the American Rescue Plan’s Benefits for Transportation," March 17, 2021
- ↑CBS News, "Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the $560 billion investment in America's transportation infrastructure," March 13, 2022
- ↑14.014.1Vote Smart, "Pete Buttigieg's Biography," accessed July 8, 2019
- ↑15.015.1Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedmeet - ↑16.016.1City of South Bend, "Mayor Pete Buttigieg," accessed January 10, 2017
- ↑17.017.1Pete for South Bend, "About Mayor Pete," accessed January 9, 2017
- ↑CNBC, "Meet 37-year-old Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg, who thinks he can become the youngest US president ever," April 15, 2019
- ↑Boston.com, "Pete Buttigieg explains why he didn’t come out until nearly his second term as South Bend mayor," April 3, 2019
- ↑WNDU, "South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg wins re-election," November 3, 2015
- ↑Biden-Harris Transition, "President-elect Biden Announces Mayor Pete Buttigieg as Nominee for Secretary of Transportation," December 15, 2020
- ↑4President, "President-elect Biden Announces Mayor Pete Buttigieg as Nominee for Secretary of Transportation," December 15, 2021
- ↑NBC News, "Senate confirms Pete Buttigieg as transportation secretary," February 2, 2021
- ↑The New York Times, "Indiana Mayor Running for D.N.C. Chairman," January 5, 2017
- ↑25.025.1The Washington Times, "Indiana mayor jumps into DNC chair race, promising fresh start," January 5, 2017
- ↑Twitter, "Pete Buttigieg," October 4, 2019
- ↑SCPR, "'Mayor Pete' comes to L.A. to back Measure E-E," May 9, 2019
- ↑Politico, "9 possible running mates Kamala Harris could pick," July 21, 2024
- ↑X, "Harris on August 6, 2024," accessed August 6, 2024
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Steven Bradbury | U.S. Secretary of Transportation 2021-2025 | Succeeded by Judith Kaleta |
| Preceded by - | Mayor of South Bend 2011-2020 | Succeeded by - |
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