Peter Paul Montgomery Buttigieg (born January 19, 1982) is an American politician who served as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, from 2012 to 2020, and previously served as US Secretary of Transportation from 2021 to 2025. He was a candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 2020 United States presidential election. Buttigieg has been variously described as a moderate or centrist Democrat, a progressive, or a technocratic liberal.
Abortion
Buttigieg supports abortion rights and the repeal of the Hyde Amendment, which blocks federal funding for abortion services except in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. In 2018, as mayor, Buttigieg vetoed a South Bend Common Council rezoning decision that would have allowed an anti-abortion crisis pregnancy center to open next door to a planned abortion clinic.
In May 2019, after the Alabama Legislature passed legislation outlawing virtually all abortion services in the state, Buttigieg said that it was "ignoring science, criminalizing abortion, and punishing women". Regarding late-term abortion, Buttigieg said he supported it, because "I trust women to draw the line when it's their own health".
Climate change Buttigieg released a plan to combat climate change consisting of three parts: building a clean economy through the creation of clean energy jobs; improving resilience by investing in disaster relief and prevention; and heightening the United States' role in the international fight against climate change. His proposal sets benchmarks of doubling clean electricity in the U.S. by 2025, zero emissions in electricity generation by 2035, net-zero emissions from industrial vehicles by 2040, and net-zero emissions by 2050.
Buttigieg said during his 2020 presidential campaign that, if elected, he would restore the United States' commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement and double its pledge to the Green Climate Fund. In June 2017, he was one of 407 U.S. mayors who signed a pact to adhere to the agreement after President Trump announced his decision to withdraw from it. Buttigieg also supports the Green New Deal proposed by House Democrats.
Buttigieg favors solar panel subsidies and a carbon tax and dividend policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Criminal justice Buttigieg supports eliminating the death penalty. On marijuana, Buttigieg has supported Canada-style legalization, saying: "The safe, regulated, and legal sale of marijuana is an idea whose time has come for the United States, as evidenced by voters demanding legalization in states across the country." He supports moving toward reversing criminal sentences for minor drug-related offenses, and eliminating incarceration for drug possession offenses. Though acknowledging the problematic nature of the disparity in black and white marijuana arrests, South Bend's black residents were 4.3 times likelier under Buttigieg to be arrested for Cannabis possession than white residents. This represents a rate higher than Indiana (3.5 times likelier) and the U.S. (3 times likelier).
In 2019, Buttigieg called for the U.S. to "decriminalize mental illness and addiction through diversion, treatment, and re-entry programs" with a goal of decreasing "the number of people incarcerated due to mental illness or substance use by 75% in the first term."
Donald Trump Buttigieg supported the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump, saying, "He's made it clear that he deserves to be impeached."Mayor Pete Buttigieg: 'He’s made it clear that he deserves to be impeached', MSNBC, Deadline White House (Sept. 23, 2019). But he has also said there would be "a lot of benefit" if Trump were defeated in 2020 instead of being removed from office via the impeachment process,James Pindell, Buttigieg says there would be 'a lot of benefit' if Trump were instead of removed from office, Boston Globe (October 31, 2019). and that the only true resolution would be to defeat Trump, along with his Republican "enablers" in Congress, in his bid for reelection.
Economy, commerce, and workers’ rights
Buttigieg has frequently pointed to automation as the chief cause of the great loss of manufacturing jobs nationwide. He has spoken of the need to work with labor unions. As a self-proclaimed democratic capitalist, Buttigieg rejects crony capitalism and supports a constitutional amendment to protect democracy from the undue and corrupting influence of money in politics. He is receptive to the possibility of antitrust actions against large technology companies but more focused on privacy and data security concerns.
In 2010, Buttigieg praised the passage of the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
While running for Indiana state treasurer in 2010, Buttigieg described his record as fiscally conservative, and supported the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), proposing that Indiana choose to deposit state funds in banks that were compliant with CRA obligations. During the Democratic primary, he supports deficit and debt reduction, arguing that large debt makes it harder to invest in infrastructure, health and safety.
In July 2019, Buttigieg released a plan to strengthen union bargaining power, to raise the minimum wage to $15, and to offer national paid family leave.
Education Buttigieg's education plan includes a $700 billion investment in universal full-day child care and pre-K for all children from infancy to age five. Buttigieg also wants to triple Title I funding for schools. Other goals include doubling the number of new teachers of color in the next 10 years, addressing school segregation with a $500 million fund, paying teachers more, expanding mental health services in schools, and creating more after-school programs and summer learning opportunities.
His plan for debt-free college partially involves expanding Pell Grants for low and middle-income students, as well as other investments and ending Trump tax cuts on the super wealthy. Under his plan, the bottom 80% of students would get free college, with the other 20% paying some or all of the tuition themselves on a sliding scale.
Buttigieg opposes free college tuition because he believes it unfairly subsidizes higher-income families at the expense of lower-income people who do not attend college. This position distinguishes him from other progressives who support free college tuition for all. Buttigieg supports initiatives to make college more affordable.
Elections and voting rights Buttigieg favors the abolition of the Electoral College. He has also called for restoring voting rights to felons who have completed their prison sentences. He has also made election security a primary part of his platform.
Foreign policy and national security Buttigieg has said that he believes the 2001 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks was justified but now supports withdrawing American troops from the region with a maintained intelligence presence. In the past, he was a committed supporter of Israel,Omri Nahmias, Pete Buttigieg: U.S. support for Israel is not support for annexation, Jerusalem Post (October 29, 2019). however, in mid-2025, after backlash over his ambiguous comments seemingly in support of Israel, he criticized Israel and called for an end of the war. He backed Senator Bernie Sanders resolutions to block the sale of offensive weapons to Israel.Buttigieg discovers Dems’ 2028 litmus test: Israel, He favors a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict,Jackson Richmand, Record at a glance: Mayor Pete Buttigieg supports two-state solution, blames Hamas for lack of peace, Jewish News Syndicate (April 15, 2019). and disapproves of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's comments in support of applying Israeli law in Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Regarding the 2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis, Buttigieg told HuffPost as a supporter of free and fair elections, he is amenable to potential sanctions but not a military intervention. On June 11, 2019, Buttigieg said: "We will remain open to working with a regime like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the benefit of the American people. But we can no longer sell out our deepest values for the sake of fossil fuel access and lucrative business deals." Buttigieg supports ending U.S. support for Saudi Arabia in Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen.
Buttigieg has condemned China for its mass detention of ethnic Uyghurs in Xinjiang, calling it a "a shocking, merciless campaign to erase the religious and ethnic identity of millions" that the U.S. should stand against. He criticized Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, which critics say gave Turkey the green light to launch its military offensive against Syrian Kurds.
In 2019, Buttigieg said he was "troubled" by President Obama's 2017 decision to commute the sentence of Chelsea Manning, who was convicted of disclosing classified documents to WikiLeaks. He also gave a mixed evaluation of Edward Snowden's disclosure of classified information, saying, "we've learned things about abuses and that one way or another that needed to come out" he further stated "the way for that to come out is through Congressional oversight, not through a breach of classified information".
Gun control Buttigieg is a strong advocate for gun control, he supports implementing stricter regulations on firearms to address gun violence in the United States. He has called for universal background checks, a ban on assault weapons, and "red flag" laws that allow for the temporary removal of firearms from individuals deemed a risk to themselves or others. Buttigieg emphasizes the importance of closing loopholes in gun sales, such as those at gun shows and online, which often bypass standard background checks. While advocating for these measures, he also respects the Second Amendment but argues that common-sense reforms are necessary to ensure public safety. During his 2020 presidential campaign, Buttigieg proposed the creation of a national gun licensing system, requiring individuals to obtain a license before purchasing firearms, which would include background checks, safety training, and regular renewals.
Health care Buttigieg opposed Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
In 2018 prior to running for president, Buttigieg stated that he favored Medicare for All.Daniel Strauss, Buttigieg backed 'Medicare for All' in 2018 tweet, Politico (October 16, 2019). During his presidential campaign, Buttigieg has promoted "Medicare for All Who Want It" (a public option for health insurance).Abby Goodnough, 'Public Option' Draws Voters Unsure About 'Medicare for All', New York Times (November 24, 2019).'Just The Right Policy': Pete Buttigieg On His 'Medicare For All Who Want It' Plan, NPR, Morning Edition (November 8, 2019).Transcript: Night 2 of the first Democratic debate (June 28, 2019). He has spoken favorably of Maryland's all-payer rate setting. Buttigieg has described "Medicare for All Who Want It" as inclusive, more efficient than the current system, and a possible precursor or "glide path" to single-payer health insurance. He also favors a partial expansion of Medicare that would allow Americans ages 50 to 64 to buy into Medicare, and supports proposed legislation (the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act), that would "create a fund to guarantee up to 12 weeks of partial income for workers to care for newborn children or family members with serious illnesses."Kevin Uhrmacher, Kevin Schaul, Paulina Firozi and Jeff Stein, Where 2020 Democrats stand on Health Care, Washington Post (last updated December 11, 2019).
In August 2019, Buttigieg released a $300 billion plan to expand mental health care services and fight addiction.
Immigration