Pete Buttigieg a 2028 Possibility?: President Joe Biden’s announcement that he will run for re-election ends speculation that his Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, could be a candidate to succeed him. That leaves 2028 as his next chance for the top job.
He had 9.5% support among Democrats as a potential candidate for the 2024 nomination. It remains to be seen if Buttigieg has the personality and the staying power to remain a player over the next four to five years.
In January, 69% of Democrats said they approved of Buttigieg.
When asked about his feeling on running for higher office, the former South Bend, Ind., mayor said he was proud of his accomplishments in the Biden administration.
“And that’s how I think about running for office. I’ve used that process to run for office before. And I’ve used that process that decision process to decide not to run for office before. And I know it sounds like the right thing to say politically, it is the right thing to say politically is also true, that I don’t know what the future looks like, or whether those stars will ever align in the future,” Buttigieg said in an interview with CNN. “What I do know is I already have a job, and it’s a great job.”
In most administrations the cabinet secretary jobs shift in a second term. It remains to be seen if Buttigieg would be appointed to another position in a potential second Biden administration or if he would run for office in his home state of Indiana for additional electoral experience.
Pete Buttigieg: A Record of Past Failures?
His performance as Transportation secretary has been panned by Republicans who have faulted his handling of major transportation meltdowns including the East Palestine, Ohio derailment in February; the nationwide shutdown of the FAA’s Notice to Air Mission (NOTAM) system used by air-traffic controllers in January; and the Southwest meltdown in December.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and many other top GOP commentators have been highly critical of Buttigieg.
“I think Buttigieg is a perfect example of the danger of setting up some kind of program that says we don’t care how competent you are. We care whether or not you fit some box we’ve created. He happened to be, I think, perfect for the Biden administration because he was the kind of person who represented, for the gay community, a unique appointment,” Gingrich told Fox News in March. “The problem was he’s incompetent. It’s not a question about his sexual orientation. It’s a question about competence.”
Gingrich continued:
“He didn’t know how to respond when the entire air traffic control system was closed down for the first time since 9/11 … I mean, how many times, you know, in baseball, that’s three strikes. How many times do you have to watch him to realize that Buttigieg is a PR agent?”
If Buttigieg were to run in 2028 he likely would faceoff against Vice President Kamala Harris and California Gov. Gavin Newsom among others.
Buttigieg’s staying power in the Democratic Party is an open question that remains to be answered.
