While Pete Buttigieg is believed to be weighing a possible Senate bid in Michigan, Democrats seemingly have another role in mind for the former transport secretary.
The 43-year-old Indiana native met with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer last week to discuss a potential run for retiring Michigan Senator Gary Peters’ seat, two sources told Politico. Last month, Peters declined to seek reelection for a third term.
However, Michigan Democrats are instead encouraging Buttigieg to eye a gubernatorial run to replace Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who is term-limited.
Buttigieg, however, has allegedly ruled out succeeding Whitmer but is “very seriously focused” on a potential Senate run, a source told Detroit News last month.
The dad-of-two, who moved to Traverse City, Michigan in 2022, to be closer to his husband’s family, is still undecided about a Senate run in the crucial battleground state, five people familiar with the matter told Politico. Republicans almost flipped the seat last cycle.
The Democrat is yet to decide what responsibility he wants, per reports.
Two sources told Politico that the former presidential candidate isn’t relishing the idea of life in a GOP-controlled Congress. Senate Majority Leader John Thune would be in control over how often Buttigieg needed to make the 760-mile journey to Washington DC.
Rumors of a potential run for the presidential nomination in 2028 have also followed Buttigieg in recent months.
The Politico report details sources saying Buttigieg sees a path helping shape the national political debate in “non-traditional spaces” – including his appearance on Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show on Tuesday to analyze Donald Trump’s 99-minute joint congressional address.
Buttigieg questioned why “our leaders are talking about renaming things on a map instead of getting the price of eggs down.”
He also said that until Trump addresses the more day-to-day concerns of Americans, the president will continue to lose supporters.
