

Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to . You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
You've probably heard a little about "Mayor Pete" Buttigieg (opens in new tab), the millennial presidential candidate who's seen a surge in popularity this spring. But you'd be forgiven for not knowing much about the guy and what he stands for, considering he wasn't well-known outside of South Bend, Indiana (where he's served as mayor since 2012) until he announced he'll be running for president in 2020.
So I put together a cheat sheet for you to learn about exactly who Buttigieg is, in his own words.. Here are some of his most illuminating quotes to give you a better sense of where he comes from, why he's running, and what makes him so beloved.
"I am not skilled enough or energetic enough to craft a persona. I just have to be who I am and hope people like it," Buttigieg said, per The Chicago Tribune (opens in new tab). "I think people in our party tie themselves up in pretzels trying to be more electable."
"Well, the way I look at it is you just have a different standing to talk about these issues when they're personal for you. It's one of the reasons why I often try to paint a picture of what the world would look like in 2054, because it's the year I get to the current age of the current president," he told Vice (opens in new tab).
"The president’s promise is to turn back the clock, that we can somehow just go back to the 1950s. It’s just not true. The economy is changing, the pace of change is accelerating, and what we’ve got to do is master those changes in order to make them work for us." pic.twitter.com/iVQhyae0tXMarch 17, 2019
"There's something happening right now, that calls for something completely different than what we've been seeing. Generationally different, regionally different, somebody with a different life story and a different background," he told Fox News (opens in new tab).
"And to the surprise of many, including myself, this moment could be the only moment over the last 100 years or the next 100 years, when it's appropriate for someone like me to be in this conversation," he added.
"If you grew up during that Cold War period, then you saw a time in politics when the word socialism could be used to end an argument," Buttigieg told CNN (opens in new tab). "Today, I think a word like that is the beginning of a debate, not the end of a debate."
"I get the urge people will have after Trump. ‘Look at the chaos and the exhaustion: Wouldn’t it be better to go back to something more stable with somebody we know?’ But there’s no going back to a pre-Trump universe. We can’t be saying the system will be fine again just like it was. Because that’s not true; it wasn’t fine. Not if we could careen into this kind of politics," he said to The Washington Post (opens in new tab).
A post shared by Pete Buttigieg (@pete.buttigieg) (opens in new tab)
A photo posted by on
“My generation is the generation that experienced school shootings beginning when I was in high school, the generation that fought in the post-9/11 wars, the first generation to have to deal with the reality of climate change, and the first generation not to be better off than our parents materially—if nothing changes,” he told Reuters (opens in new tab).
"The only way to know is to get out there," he said to CNN (opens in new tab). "I will say I got re-elected with 80% of the vote after I had come out while Mike Pence was governor of Indiana. I don't think these things decide your fate."
For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.
SUBSCRIBE HERE (opens in new tab)
RELATED STORIES

Katherine’s a Boston-based contributor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle—from “Clueless” to Everlane to news about Lizzo. She’s been a freelancer for 11 years and has had roles with Cosmopolitan and Bustle, with bylines in Parents, Seventeen, and elsewhere. It’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.
-
Typically Stoic Queen was “Even More Emotional Than Expected” on Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Wedding Day
There was good reason behind her joy.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Princess Diana Once Confronted Camilla Parker-Bowles Face-to-Face at a Party
Twelve words were all she needed to get her point across.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
The Queen Had a Strong Opinion About Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Renovated Kitchen
Tell us how you really feel, Your Majesty!
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Why the 2022 Midterm Elections Are So Critical
As we blaze through a highly charged midterm election season, Swing Left Executive Director Yasmin Radjy highlights rising stars who are fighting for women’s rights.
By Tanya Benedicto Klich
-
Tammy Duckworth: 'I’m Mad as Hell' About the Lack of Federal Action on Gun Safety
The Illinois Senator won't let the memory of the Highland Park shooting just fade away.
By Sen. Tammy Duckworth
-
Roe Is Gone. We Have to Keep Fighting.
Democracy always offers a path forward even when we feel thrust into the past.
By Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland, hosts of Pantsuit Politics Podcast
-
The Supreme Court's Mississippi Abortion Rights Case: What to Know
The case could threaten Roe v. Wade.
By Megan DiTrolio
-
Sex Trafficking Victims Are Being Punished. A New Law Could Change That.
Victims of sexual abuse are quietly criminalized. Sara's Law protects kids that fight back.
By Dr. Devin J. Buckley and Erin Regan
-
My Family and I Live in Navajo Nation. We Don't Have Access to Clean Running Water
"They say that the United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Why are citizens still living with no access to clean water?"
By Amanda L. As Told To Rachel Epstein
-
30 Ways Women Still Aren't Equal to Men
If anyone tries to tell you otherwise, show them these statistics.
By Megan Friedman
-
Cory Booker and Rosario Dawson's Relationship Is No More
After three years of dating, the power couple have decided they're better off as friends.
By Marie Claire Editors