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The gay former South Bend mayor, presidential candidate and U.S. Transportation Secretary, who lives in Michigan, has remained mum about his future plans.
Michigan Democrats, reeling from recent electoral setbacks and anxious about their future, are looking to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as a potential force to realign their party and energize voters.
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Should he decide to run for governor in 2026, Buttigieg could become Michigan’s first out gay leader at the state’s helm. Dana Nessel, a lesbian and the state’s current attorney general, is the highest LGBTQ+ elected official in Michigan.
While Gov. Gretchen Whitmer still has two years left in her second term and cannot run again because of term limits, insiders are concerned about the direction Democrats will take once she leaves office. The Associated Press reports that many fear a fractured race that could pave the way for Republican gains, notably since Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has announced plans to run as an independent. The AP reports that Buttigieg, who moved to Traverse City with his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, after his 2020 presidential campaign, has been approached by Michigan Democrats urging him to consider joining the field. Chasten and Pete Buttigieg are raising their young twins in the area where Chasten is from.
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The push comes amid larger questions about the Democratic Party’s future in Michigan. President-elect Donald Trump won the state again in 2024 by a wider margin than in 2016, and Republicans retook control of the state House, thwarting much of the Democrats’ agenda. In their final weeks holding both chambers, Democrats struggled to pass significant legislation, pointing to internal divisions with some party leaders searching for a unifying figure, the AP reports.
Buttigieg’s national profile, tested on the presidential campaign trail and in a high-profile Cabinet role, could help the party recapture lost momentum. He has not committed to any candidacy and has told reporters that he will wait until after the Biden administration ends on January 20 before making major political decisions. Still, the possibility that he might run is enough to generate excitement among progressives and LGBTQ+ communities.
The Advocate has reached out to Buttigieg for comment.
