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Who is Pete Buttigieg?

Take a closer look at the Democratic presidential candidate.

Pete Buttigieg

Born: January 19, 1982

Birthplace: South Bend, Indiana

Age on Inauguration Day:  39

Party affiliation: Democrat

Campaign website: peteforamerica.com

Education: Harvard University (Bachelor’s degree in History and Literature); Oxford University (Rhodes Scholar; Philosophy, Politics, and Economics)

Professions: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy (Reserve)

Public office: Mayor of South Bend, Indiana (2012-present)

Personal: Married husband Chasten Glezman in 2018

Life and career:

  • Last name is pronounced BOO'-tah-juhj (he has also used BOOT-edge-edge to describe it)
  • Member of U.S. Naval Reserve from 2009 through 2017. He was an intelligence officer specializing in counterterrorism.
  • Won election in 2011 to become mayor of South Bend at age 29, making him the youngest mayor of a U.S. city with at least 100,000 residents.
  • Launched the “1,000 Homes in 1,000 Days initiative,” which his website says demolished or repaired abandoned homes in South Bend.
  • Took a leave of absence as mayor to deploy to Afghanistan in 2014.
  • Amid his campaign for a second term as mayor, Buttigieg came out as gay. He went on to win re-election with 80 percent of the vote.
  • Unsuccessfully ran for Democratic National Committee Chairman in 2017.
  • Could be the first openly gay presidential nominee from a major political party and the first openly gay president.

Sources: Associated Press; WNDU

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