North America
22:37, 23-Jan-2019
Democratic mayor Pete Buttigieg launches 2020 presidential campaign
["china"]
Share
Copied
Pete Buttigieg, the Democratic mayor of South Bend, Indiana, launched an underdog 2020 bid for the White House on Wednesday, aiming to stand out as a problem-solving Midwestern outsider who would be the first openly gay nominee of a major U.S. political party.
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 favor of Republican Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential race.
In an email and video to supporters, he sought to embrace fresh solutions for the future, in contrast to Trump's nostalgia-driven message invoking the U.S. 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."
Twitter screenshot
Twitter screenshot
Buttigieg entered 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.
Other Democratic rivals for the nomination include U.S Senators Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, and Kirsten Gillibrand as well as U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard and former San Antonio mayor and the U.S. 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."
(Cover: Pete Buttigieg, the Democratic mayor of South Bend, Indiana, the U.S. in an undated photo provided on January 4, 2019, Indiana. /Handout via Reuters)
Source(s): Reuters