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Pete Buttigieg, who served as Transportation Secretary during the four years of the Biden administration, announced Thursday morning that he has decided to pass on two potential political opportunities… which gives the strongest indication yet that he actually has his eye on the White House for 2028.
Buttigieg, 43, is commonly known as “Mayor Pete,” since he served as mayor of South Bend, Indiana from 2012-2020. He ran for president in the 2020 Democrat primary, then dropped out and supported Joe Biden. He was rewarded with a Cabinet spot in the Biden administration.
Buttigieg is openly gay, in a same-sex marriage and has two adopted children. He now lives in Traverse City, Michigan.
It had been speculated that Buttigieg may either run for governor of Michigan, or run for U.S. Senate to hold on to the seat being vacated by retiring Democrat Sen. Gary Peters.
Buttigieg announced in a statement posted on X:
I care deeply about who Michigan will elect as Governor and send to the U.S. Senate next year, but I have decided against competing in either race.
I remain enthusiastic about helping candidates who share our values – and who understand that in this moment, leadership means not only opposing today’s cruel chaos, but also presenting a vision of a better alternative.
While my own plans don’t include running for office in 2026, I remain intensely focused on consolidating, communicating, and supporting a vision for this alternative.
The decisions made by elected leaders matter entirely because of how they shape our everyday lives – and the choices made in these years will decide the American people’s access to freedom, security, democracy, and prosperity for the rest of our lifetimes.
While my own plans don’t include running for office in 2026, I remain intensely focused on consolidating, communicating, and supporting a vision for this alternative.
The decisions made by elected leaders matter entirely because of how they shape our everyday lives – and the…
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) March 13, 2025
In a Substack post, Buttigieg raged against the Trump administration, and hinted that he has bigger plans. He wrote:
In the months ahead I will be spending more time engaging both legacy and digital media in the service of a politics of everyday life, rooted in the values of freedom, security, and democracy. I will be engaging partners, allies, friends and strangers in the service of a more convincing and widespread account of American prosperity than either side has so far offered. And I’ll also be taking advantage of my exit from office to spend much more time offline, in dialogue with people like my neighbors in Michigan and communities like South Bend, Indiana, where I grew up and served as mayor.
You’ll be seeing me on familiar platforms and newer ones, developing this vision and discussing with fellow Americans what they most need from their government and their country at a time like this.
I wrote more here about my decision and how I view the work required of us all in this moment: https://t.co/m8Rx7zYCd3
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) March 13, 2025
Exclusive: Pete Buttigieg won’t run for Senate next year and has his eyes on a bigger prize: The White House. https://t.co/I18A1iQZJ9
— POLITICO (@politico) March 13, 2025
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