On Sunday night, Pete Buttigieg dropped out of the presidential race. After winning the Iowa Primary, and coming in a close second in New Hampshire, Buttigieg’s numbers quickly dropped when primaries in more diverse states took place. In Nevada, he picked up only 14.3% of the vote, and in South Carolina, he only picked up 8.2% of the vote. His lacking numbers are believed to be the cause of his dropping out, as well as a campaign that was understaffed. With Super Tuesday around the corner, it was becoming more and more apparent to Buttigieg and his campaign that there wasn’t a path forward.
However, Buttigieg made history by becoming the first openly gay major presidential candidate, and the first openly gay candidate to win a primary. As the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, “Mayor Pete” rose from relative obscurity and became a front-runner in the presidential campaign. He even lasted longer than big-name senators like Kamala Harris and Cory Booker. Shortly after making the decision to drop out, Buttigieg sent out a statement via his official Twitter account:
Thank you for inviting me into your homes, sharing your stories, and putting your trust in me. We launched our campaign because Americans are hungry for a new kind of politics that brings us together.
And together we'll beat this president and build the era that must come next. pic.twitter.com/QDajvx1lpL
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) March 2, 2020
Many voters who wanted a moderate liberal loved Buttigieg, and sources are saying they’re likely to now support candidates like Warren and Biden. Being only 38, he was also much younger than the other major candidates, with Warren, Biden, and Sanders being 70, 77, and 78, respectively. Despite his dropping out, his campaign was truly historic, and he was part of the most diverse presidential primary in the history of this country.
