Pete Buttigieg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pete Buttigieg
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Official portrait, 2022
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| 19th United States Secretary of Transportation | |
| In office February 3, 2021 – January 20, 2025 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | Polly Trottenberg |
| Preceded by | Elaine Chao |
| Succeeded by | Sean Duffy |
| 32nd Mayor of South Bend | |
| In office January 1, 2012 – January 1, 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Steve Luecke |
| Succeeded by | James Mueller |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Peter Paul Montgomery Buttigieg
January 19, 1982 South Bend, Indiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Chasten Glezman
(m. 2018) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Joseph Buttigieg (father) |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) Pembroke College, Oxford (BA) |
| Signature | .png){kind=small} |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | |
| Service years | 2009–2017 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | Naval Intelligence |
| Battles/wars | War in Afghanistan |
| Awards | Joint Service Commendation Medal |
Peter Paul Montgomery Buttigieg (born January 19, 1982), often known as "Mayor Pete", is an American politician. He served as the 19th United States Secretary of Transportation from 2021 to 2025 in President Joe Biden's administration. Before that, he was the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, from 2012 to 2020. Buttigieg was also a major candidate for president in 2020. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Buttigieg is a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Oxford. From 2009 to 2017, he was an intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserve, and he served in the War in Afghanistan for seven months in 2014.
In 2019, Buttigieg ran for the Democratic nomination for president. He became the first openly gay person to launch a major presidential campaign. He won the Iowa caucuses, becoming the first openly gay candidate to win a presidential primary. He later dropped out of the race and endorsed Joe Biden.
President Biden nominated Buttigieg for Secretary of Transportation. He was confirmed by the Senate on February 2, 2021, making him the first openly gay Cabinet secretary in U.S. history to be confirmed by the Senate.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Pete Buttigieg was born on January 19, 1982, in South Bend, Indiana. His parents were both professors at the University of Notre Dame. His father had moved to the United States from the country of Malta.
A Talented Student
In high school, Buttigieg was the valedictorian (the student with the highest grades) of his graduating class in 2000. He was also the senior class president. That same year, he won a national essay contest from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. His essay was about the political courage of Bernie Sanders, who was a U.S. representative at the time.
College and Beyond
Buttigieg went to Harvard College, where he studied history and literature. He was very involved in student politics and graduated with high honors in 2004.
After Harvard, he won a Rhodes Scholarship, a very prestigious award that allowed him to study at the University of Oxford in England. He earned another degree there in 2007 in philosophy, politics, and economics.
Career and Military Service
After college, Buttigieg worked on several political campaigns for Democratic candidates. He also worked for three years as a consultant for McKinsey & Company, a firm that helps businesses and governments solve problems.
Military Service
In 2009, Buttigieg joined the U.S. Navy Reserve as an intelligence officer. In 2014, while he was mayor, he took a seven-month leave to serve in Afghanistan. His job was to help track and stop money from getting to terrorist groups. He also served as an armed driver for his commander on many trips into the city of Kabul. He was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal for his service and left the Navy Reserve in 2017.
Mayor of South Bend
In 2011, Buttigieg was elected mayor of his hometown, South Bend, Indiana. He was only 29 years old, making him one of the youngest mayors of a large U.S. city. He was reelected in 2015 and served two full terms, until 2020.
City Projects and Challenges
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As mayor, Buttigieg focused on improving the city. One of his best-known programs was the "1,000 Properties in 1,000 Days" project. This plan aimed to either repair or tear down over 1,000 vacant and unsafe houses, which helped make neighborhoods safer and cleaner.
He also led the "Smart Streets" project to redesign the city's downtown roads. This made the area more friendly for walking and biking and helped bring new businesses to downtown South Bend.
During his time as mayor, Buttigieg faced some difficult challenges. Early in his first term, he had to deal with a situation where city police had been recording phone calls. This led to him replacing the police chief, which caused tension between his office and some members of the police department and the community.
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While he was mayor, Buttigieg announced in a local newspaper that he was gay. This made him the first openly gay elected executive in Indiana's history.
National Politics
Buttigieg's work as mayor started to get national attention. In 2016, President Barack Obama mentioned him as a rising star in the Democratic Party.
2020 Presidential Campaign
On January 23, 2019, Buttigieg announced he was running for President of the United States. He was the first openly gay person to launch a major campaign for president.
Many people were surprised when his campaign became very popular. He did well in early debates and town hall meetings. In February 2020, he narrowly won the Iowa caucuses, the first contest of the primary season. This made him the first openly gay candidate to ever win a presidential primary or caucus. After a few more contests, he left the race and endorsed Joe Biden.
Secretary of Transportation
After Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, he chose Buttigieg to be his United States Secretary of Transportation. The U.S. Senate confirmed him on February 2, 2021. At 38 years old, he was the youngest member of Biden's cabinet and the first openly gay person to hold a cabinet position that required Senate confirmation.
Leading the Department
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As Secretary of Transportation, Buttigieg was in charge of the nation's transportation systems. This includes highways, airports, trains, and ports. A major part of his job was to oversee the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a law that provided billions of dollars to repair and improve America's infrastructure.
He also focused on making transportation safer and more fair. He started a program called Reconnecting Communities, which aims to fix problems in neighborhoods that were divided by the construction of major highways in the past.
Major Projects and Challenges
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During his time as secretary, Buttigieg's department worked to protect airline passengers. They launched a website to help people understand their rights when flights are delayed or canceled.
In February 2023, a freight train carrying dangerous chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. The accident caused a large fire and forced residents to leave their homes. Buttigieg's department was in charge of the safety investigation. He and the department faced criticism for their response to the disaster.
After the Cabinet
After leaving his post as Secretary of Transportation in January 2025, Buttigieg remained active in public life. For a few months in early 2025, he served as a fellow at the University of Chicago's Institute of Politics, where he led seminars for students. During that time, there was discussion that he might run for office in Michigan, but he decided not to.
Political Ideas
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Buttigieg has shared his ideas on many important issues facing the country.
- Infrastructure: He supports large investments in fixing roads, bridges, and public transportation. He also wants to expand internet access to all Americans and build more green energy projects.
- Climate Change: He believes climate change is a serious crisis. He supports the U.S. being part of international agreements like the Paris Climate Agreement. He also favors policies that would reduce pollution.
- Education: He has proposed making public college tuition-free for families with lower and middle incomes. He also supports investing more in early childhood education, like pre-kindergarten, and increasing pay for teachers.
- Workers' Rights: Buttigieg supports raising the national minimum wage and making it easier for workers to join unions. He also supports a national paid family leave program.
- Voting Rights: He believes the Electoral College should be abolished. He also supports making it easier for all citizens to vote.
Personal Life
Buttigieg is a Christian and has said his faith is important to him. He plays the guitar and piano and once performed as a guest soloist with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra. He can speak or understand several languages, including Norwegian, Spanish, and French.
In 2018, he married Chasten Glezman, who is a teacher and writer. They met on a dating app in 2015. In 2021, they announced that they had adopted newborn twins, a boy and a girl. In 2022, the family moved to Traverse City, Michigan, which is Chasten's hometown.
| 2021 United States Senate confirmation to be Secretary of Transportation | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2, 2021 |
Party | Total | ||
| Democratic | Republican | Independent | ||
| Yes | 48 | 36 | 2 | 86 |
| No | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
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Simple majority (51 of 99 votes) required – Nomination confirmed
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Images for kids
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Buttigieg campaign photo in March 2010.
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Buttigieg campaigning for DNC chairman in 2017.
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In 2018, Buttigieg proposed moving the city's South Shore Line station from the airport to downtown.
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Buttigieg and Barack Obama at the COP26 climate summit in 2021.
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Buttigieg speaking at the 2019 Iowa Federation of Labor Convention.
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Buttigieg speaking to the Iowa State Education Association in 2020.
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Buttigieg speaking with VoteVets.org in 2019.
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See also
In Spanish: Pete Buttigieg para niños
- List of Rhodes Scholars
