Eli Williams, from left, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Chasten Glezman, the mayor's partner, and Common Council member Oliver Davies participate in a recent vigil for the victims of the Orlando attack. Staff photo by Santiago Flores
SOUTH BEND — Writing in the New York Times last week, columnist Frank Bruni described Pete Buttigieg, the Harvard-educated mayor of this “Rust Belt” city of 101,000 residents, as the “perfect Democratic candidate.”
The New York Times is hardly the first national media outlet to shower attention on South Bend's mayor, who came out in an essay published in The Tribune last year.
Two years ago, the Washington Post called him "The most interesting mayor you've never heard of." GovFresh.com named him "Mayor of the Year" for 2013. New York Magazine included Buttigieg among a list of 10 young Democrats who could be the “next Obama.” NPR and CNN have invited him to speak on issues ranging from the economy to gay rights. Slate invited him to live blog the recent Indiana primary.
Each accolade has renewed the question of what exactly Buttigieg has in mind for his political future, and whether that includes staying in South Bend, or even Indiana.
For his part, Buttigieg said in a recent interview that the Times headline was “a little awkward.”
“I get that headlines are written to be provocative and get clicks, but it’s obviously pretty far-fetched,” he said of the presidential talk. “I’m dealing with potholes and animal control, and I’m really excited about the job that I have, which is mayor.”
Still, he says he agreed to meet with Bruni because he saw an opportunity to introduce South Bend to a wider audience and spread the word about what he refers to as the city’s “comeback.”
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