— Pete Buttigieg, the young Midwestern mayor whose presidential bid has been an unlikely early focus of attention from Democratic voters and donors, was set to officially kick off his campaign on Sunday afternoon in his hometown. Mr. Buttigieg, a 37-year-old Rhodes Scholar and veteran of the war in Afghanistan, would represent a series of historic firsts if elected: the youngest president ever and the first who is openly gay. Though he is a political progressive, Mr. Buttigieg’s main message is that he represents the claim to leadership of millennial Americans, those who will be on “the business end” of climate change and left to clean up messes that current leaders have made of health care, immigration and exorbitantly priced education. [Pete Buttigieg’s college writings reveal the roots of his 2020 campaign.] Little known just two months ago, Mr. Buttigieg has won support and financial backing through a blitz of television interviews in which he has given earnest, nuanced responses that make liberal points without raising the temperature.

Source: New York Times April 14, 2019 15:56 UTC