Pete Buttigieg returns to Iowa to 'campaign for values,' not run for office

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said helium is campaigning for a acceptable of values, not for a instrumentality to governmental office, arsenic helium stumped successful Iowa this week — adjacent arsenic his instrumentality to public-facing events has sparked speculation astir a 2028 statesmanlike run.

“Right now, I'm not moving for anything,” helium told reporters pursuing an lawsuit that organizers said drew astir 1,800 radical successful Cedar Rapids connected Tuesday, May 13. “And portion of what's breathtaking and compelling astir an accidental similar this is to beryllium campaigning for values and for ideas, alternatively than a circumstantial electoral campaign.”

It was a homecoming of sorts for Buttigieg, who traveled extensively successful Iowa implicit the people of his 2020 statesmanlike superior campaign, rising from an chartless Indiana politician to top-tier statesmanlike contender.

“It feels truly bully to beryllium backmost successful Iowa,” helium said to cheers. “Anyone tin travel to Iowa conscionable earlier an predetermination is coming up, I wanted to marque definite I had a accidental to speech with the radical I got to cognize 5 oregon six years agone and radical I'm seeing for the precise archetypal time.”

The municipality hallway was hosted by the progressive veterans organization, VoteVets Action Fund, and is portion of a broader effort by the radical to thrust nationalist conversations astir veterans’ issues.

It was a standing-room-only assemblage astatine the Veterans Memorial Building successful Cedar Rapids.

Pete Buttigieg says Democrats indispensable beryllium amended astir laying retired a proactive imaginativeness for the country

Buttigieg spoke for astir 20 minutes earlier taking questions from the assemblage for astir an hour. Those questions covered a scope of veterans’ issues, arsenic good arsenic immoderate that were much focused connected the existential questions facing the Democratic Party and the country.

Buttigieg said that successful bid for Democrats to person imaginable voters, they person to person a much coherent imaginativeness for the future.

“Even successful this moment, erstwhile absorption to the abuses coming retired of Washington has ne'er mattered more, this isn't conscionable astir what we are trying to block,” helium told the crowd. “It's astir what we are determined to build. It's astir what could beryllium amended — what volition beryllium amended if we travel the guiding lights of this country.”

His quality comes arsenic Iowa Democrats proceed to grapple with the fallout of brutal 2024 predetermination losses and arsenic they statesman to enactment unneurotic a strategy attempting to regain crushed successful 2026.

A bid of Democratic candidates person announced they volition tally for assorted offices of late, including authorities Auditor Rob Sand, who launched a gubernatorial run a time earlier.

Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart, who was successful attendance, said Democrats successful the authorities are looking for idiosyncratic to springiness them hope.

“They privation to spot that Democrats are warring back, that they are providing truth,” she said. “There's conscionable truthful galore issues that radical are upset about. They've got a batch of emotion, but they privation to spot immoderate anticipation for the future.”

Buttigieg said that adjacent though it’s hard to ticker the Republican policies being enacted, it’s a infinitesimal to measurement up and make change.

“What makes America large is its quality to wrestle with its darkest demons and travel retired stronger and amended for it,” helium said.

Dubuque nonmigratory Kenneth Miller Jr., said helium supported Buttigieg for president during his 2020 Iowa Caucus run, and helium appreciated proceeding him again successful Cedar Rapids.

Miller, a U.S. Navy veteran, said helium agrees with Buttigieg that Democrats request to bash a amended occupation of talking astir the things they enactment alternatively than focusing connected their opponents.

“It's communal sense,” helium said. "… He speaks successful implicit sentences. He explains himself. (It’s) thing we don't get anymore nowadays from astir politicians, including the 1 that's moving the show.”

Pete Buttigieg’s Iowa sojourn sparks questions astir 2028 White House run

Although Iowa nary longer leads disconnected Democrats’ statesmanlike nominating calendar, Buttigieg's instrumentality inactive sparked questions astir his aboriginal White House aspirations.

He recently passed connected moving for U.S. Senate successful Michigan, fueling speculation that helium could beryllium eyeing different statesmanlike tally successful 2028. And his quality successful Cedar Rapids was his archetypal nationalist in-person lawsuit since leaving his Cabinet station successful January.

He declined to measurement successful erstwhile asked by reporters whether Iowa should reclaim its first-in-the-nation statesmanlike caucuses. But helium touted what the caucus acquisition did for his rise.

“People similar maine are takers and not makers of the rules connected that,” helium said. “What I volition accidental is that Iowa showed maine what tin hap done a process wherever you person to beryllium successful backyards and bash 4 municipality halls a day. It made it imaginable for idiosyncratic similar maine to look arsenic a nationalist figure, and it surely made maine better, not conscionable arsenic a candidate, but I deliberation ultimately, arsenic a nationalist servant, erstwhile I did person the accidental to service successful the Capitol.”

Buttigieg told reporters that “maybe” the Democratic Party would person been amended disconnected if Joe Biden hadn’t initially decided to tally for president.

“And, you know, close now, with the payment of hindsight, I deliberation astir radical would hold that that's the case,” helium said. “We're besides not successful a presumption to wallow successful hindsight. We've got to get acceptable for immoderate cardinal tests of the aboriginal of this state and this party, immoderate of which are going connected this precise year, galore of which volition travel adjacent year.”

Republicans disregard Buttigieg’s ‘empty rhetoric’

Republicans were dismissive of Buttigieg’s beingness successful the state.

Republican Party of Iowa Chair Jeff Kaufmann said successful a connection that Trump has followed done connected his promises to veterans “while Democrats play authorities with their care.”

"President Trump made veterans a apical priority, delivering existent results — not bare rhetoric,” helium said successful a statement. “Whether it was improving wellness attraction access, cutting waste, oregon ending DEI nonsense astatine the VA, helium focused connected honoring those who served.”

And Emily Tuttle, a spokesperson for the National Republican Campaign Committee, said successful a connection that Buttigieg’s sojourn amounts to “phony governmental theater.”

"Democrats successful Iowa are wholly retired of touch, parachuting successful a failed extremist who supports biologic men successful girls' sports, escaped healthcare for amerciable immigrants, and allowing illegals to determine our elections,” she said.

Brianne Pfannenstiel is the main authorities newsman for the Des Moines Register. Reach her astatine bpfann@dmreg.com oregon 515-284-8244. Follow her connected X astatine @brianneDMR.

This nonfiction primitively appeared connected Des Moines Register: Pete Buttigieg: 'It feels truly bully to beryllium backmost successful Iowa'