With the thoughtfulness, elegance, and class that characterized – and energized – his campaign for the Democratic nomination for President,  Pete Buttigieg ’05 withdrew from the race Sunday night, March 1.

A year ago, when Pete began his journey, few considered him to be a serious contender.  He certainly proved them wrong.

Pete was half the age of the leading candidates – Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders.  His experience was too thin, the pundits argued – the only public office he’d ever held was mayor of a mid-sized midwestern city.  He had no money to speak of.  His campaign team consisted of four people. Yet he would go on to create a national organization, fueled by thousands of motivated volunteers, many of them first timers, and by a ton of money raised mostly from small contributions, to win the Iowa caucuses and finish in the top four in all of the first four states to vote.

Credit: Charles Krupa/Associated Press

Perhaps more than any of the 15 or so candidates who ultimately jumped into the race, Pete emerged as the voice of reason, vision, and moderation among that fractious group.  At only 38, he was the grown-up in the room  — and on the debate stage.

His retort to Rush Limbaugh’s trolling of Pete’s sexual orientation, comparing the image of Pete as the Democratic nominee, “kissing his husband onstage next to Mr. Man Donald Trump” – Mr. Man! – was one for the ages: “The idea of the likes of Rush Limbaugh or Donald Trump lecturing anybody on family values, I mean, sorry, but one thing about my marriage is it’s never involved me having to send hush money to a porn star after cheating on my spouse,” Pete said. “If they want to debate family values, let’s debate family values. I’m ready.”

When The North American Pembrokian spoke with Pete a couple of years ago for a profile for this publication (see: https://pcfna.org/?p=632), Pete impressed us with his candor, humor, and modesty, humbly confessing to being totally unprepared for his early PPE tutorials; noting he played guitar in a South Bend rock band while remarking that Eric Clapton had nothing to fear; being very nervous before playing Rhapsody in Blue as a South Bend Symphony walk-on pianist.

Something about Pete’s thoughtfulness and self-reflection during that interview struck us as unique and salutary. “About a year ago, I realized I was so busy being mayor that I wasn’t reading much. And reading got me everything good in life,” Peter said.  “So, we now have a rule in my office.  My staff has to help me protect four or five hours a week to hole up and read. And not necessarily about policy. Maybe just read about the Greeks, or history, or poetry.”

Pete represents the best of Pembroke College.

Pete, the entire Pembroke community, in the US and around the world, is very proud of you.  You are a leader among leaders, not only among the next generation of American leaders, but of today’s.  We have certainly not heard the last of you, Pete Buttigieg, and eagerly await your next chapter!

Credit:  New Yorker Radio Hour

Thanks to Tom Herman for penning this piece…along with most of the others.  Thanks Tom — PCFNA