Here’s a look at the life of Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate.
Personal:
Birth date: January 19, 1982
Birth place: South Bend, Indiana
Birth name: Peter Paul Montgomery Buttigieg
Father: Joseph A. Buttigieg, an English professor
Mother: Anne Montgomery, a linguist
Marriage: Chasten Glezman (2018-present)
Education: Harvard College, 2004, B.A., History and Literature; University of Oxford, 2007 (Rhodes Scholar)
Military Service: US Navy Reserves, 2009-2017, Lieutenant
Religion: Episcopalian
Other Facts:
Buttigieg can be pronounced “boot-edge-edge,” “buddha-judge,” “boot-a-judge” or “boo-tuh-judge.”
Buttigieg’s father, Joseph, emigrated to the United States from Malta. Buttigieg roughly translates to “lord of the poultry.”
If elected, Buttigieg would be the nation’s first gay president.
Speaks eight languages: English, Norwegian, Spanish, Italian, Maltese, Arabic, Dari and French.
He learned Norwegian to read the works of novelist Erlend Loe in the original language.
Plays piano and guitar and has performed with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra.
Timeline:
2007-2010 – Consultant at McKinsey & Co. in Chicago.
January 1, 2012-present – Mayor of South Bend, Indiana.
February 27, 2013 – Releases the Vacant & Abandoned Properties Task Force Report, which calls for 1,000 abandoned houses to be addressed in 1,000 days. The goal is met in September 2015 with over 1,000 homes being demolished or refurbished.
February-September 2014 – Deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan, as an intelligence officer.
June 16, 2015 – Comes out as gay in an essay for the South Bend Tribune.
January 5, 2017 – Announces that he is entering the race for Democratic National Committee chair.
February 25, 2017 – Drops out of the race for DNC chair minutes before the vote.
December 17, 2018 – Announces that he will not seek a third term as mayor of South Bend, Indiana.
January 23, 2019 – Announces that he is launching an exploratory committee for a 2020 presidential bid.
February 12, 2019 – His memoir, “Shortest Way Home: One Mayor’s Challenge and a Model for America’s Future,” is published.
April 14, 2019 – Officially announces he is running for president during a rally in South Bend, Indiana.
April 26, 2019 – Buttigieg’s presidential campaign reverses its decision to accept donations from registered lobbyists and says it will refund the contributions it has received so far. Campaign manager, Mike Schmuhl, in an email to supporters, states that the campaign will send back $30,250 it has received from 39 individuals.
