That Time Pete Buttigieg Married a Couple Minutes From Having a Baby

Just because Pete Buttigieg has turned heads with his fundraising, endorsements and support in Iowa doesn't mean he's stopped working in South Bend, Ind. In fact, the mayor swung by yesterday and married a couple on their way to delivering a child.

The Democratic presidential candidate said he stopped at his office yesterday and ended up officiating a ceremony. He recounted the story on Facebook.

At first, Buttigieg said the couple, identified as Mary and Gabe, approached him to ask for an impromptu meeting, and the busy public figure told them he didn't have enough time.

"I ran into a young couple coming out of the elevator, saying I was just the person they were there to see. In my mind I saw the rare few minutes of free time I had left vanishing, and without meaning to be discouraging, tried to hint that I did not have a lot of time for unplanned meetings," he said.

"Reluctantly, I showed them in to the front part of our office and promised someone would try to take care of whatever their issue was."

But the couple explained they could not wait. Mary had a 9 a.m. C-section delivery scheduled.

"They were hoping they could be married before she delivered," Buttigieg said. "She had the paperwork and everything in a folder along with her hospital papers, and they wanted to see if I could do the honors.

"Obviously there's only one answer to that question. I corralled a few staff members as they were trickling into the office, to serve as witnesses, and filled out the paperwork. Their rings weren't ready, so one of my colleagues found a ribbon that would do the trick."

Shortly after, the mayor's office received a picture of South Bend's newest resident, Jade Katherine Jones.

"It's moments like this that I'll miss when my term as mayor comes to an end," Buttigieg wrote.

"Congratulations to the newlyweds and new parents, and welcome, Jade, to this unlikely and lovely world!"