By Devin Dubon
In a crowded field of over 20 major candidates, it’s hard for any one Democrat to stand out for the 2020 presidential nomination. Yet Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, has attempted to fix this problem with a grassroots campaign strategy that attempts to put him in front of as many voters as possible. And as part of that strategy, Mayor Buttigieg visited the Wynwood Walls on Monday in his first Florida visit.
Buttigieg, who was polling at 0%, if he was even included in polls, just a few months ago is now in the top 5 nationally.
“It’s impressive for him to be able to fill this space considering he was a complete unknown a few months ago,” said Marc Caputo, political reporter for Politico.
Part of his success stems from his widespread media attention. Sunday night, Buttigieg gave a town hall on Fox News–an opportunity many other candidates have turned down due to the media outlet’s perceived conservative bias.
Now, about 12 hours later, Buttigieg arrived at Miami’s cultural heart to give a roughly twenty minute speech touching on how freedom meant access to healthcare, a living wage, and reenfranchisement of felons.
“We weren’t sure if anybody would come,” he told the crowd, “but this takes care of that. Florida’s been pretty good to us. We just might come back.”
He called climate change a “security issue” and spoke about how he wants to take back religion and values that, according to him, the Republican party has attempted to claim.
Buttigieg also brought along his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, who introduced the candidate and shared a kiss with him onstage.
Other guests included Sean Shaw, the first black nominee for Florida Attorney General, and state representative Adam Hattersley, a Democrat from the Tampa area. Both threw their support behind the presidential hopeful.
Buttigieg, 37, is the youngest candidate in the race and, if elected, he would be the youngest president in history. He would also be the first millennial and first openly gay president.
“Maybe it’s time for a new generation of American leadership,” he said. “I see it in this crowd. I see a multi-generational alliance.”
Helena Castro contributed to this report
