Pete Buttigieg suspended his historic campaign for president on Sunday night following a fourth place finish in the South Carolina Democratic primary.
Buttigieg: "We sent a message to every kid out there wondering if whatever marks them out as different means they are somehow destined to be less than…Someone who once felt that exact same way can become a leading American presidential candidate with his husband at his side.” pic.twitter.com/4b1Oe2fT6B
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 2, 2020
The NYT reports: After raising more than $76 million in 2019, an astonishing haul for a mayor with no national profile, Mr. Buttigieg spent nearly all his treasure in Iowa and New Hampshire. He faced campaigning across the coast-to-coast states of Super Tuesday with evaporating funds and little chance of clearing the threshold of 15 percent of votes needed to amass delegates.
BIDEN AND BUTTIGIEG have traded voicemail messages tonight (air travel for both has prevented a phone call), a Biden aide tells me.
— Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) March 1, 2020
Reactions:
.@PeteButtigieg ran a historic, trail-blazing campaign based on courage, compassion, and honesty. We will be a better country for his continued service. This is just the beginning of his time on the national stage.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) March 2, 2020
I want to congratulate @PeteButtigieg for running a strong and historic campaign, and to welcome all of his supporters into our movement. I urge them to join us in the fight for real change in this country.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 2, 2020
Thank you, @PeteButtigieg. I know you'll continue giving back and serving our country for many years to come.
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) March 1, 2020
.@PeteButtigieg brought a fresh perspective and sense of optimism to the race. His call for inclusivity is laudable. As the first openly gay candidate to mount a major bid, he has proven we aren't limited by who we love. #MayorPete has a bright future and will help us #WinTheEra.
— Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) March 2, 2020
Pete Buttigieg ran a historic and inspiring campaign that we can all be proud of. His candidacy broke barriers, and made the 2020 race better.
— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) March 1, 2020
I look forward to seeing what his future holds.
Congrats to @Lis_Smith and the team as well – you all ran an epic campaign that redefined what is possible in American politics. You should be very proud.
— Andrew Yang🧢⬆️🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) March 1, 2020
Pete Buttigieg is OUT. All of his SuperTuesday votes will go to Sleepy Joe Biden. Great timing. This is the REAL beginning of the Dems taking Bernie out of play – NO NOMINATION, AGAIN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 1, 2020
THANK YOU, @PeteButtigieg and @Chas10Buttigieg, for putting your love front and center in this campaign. As a married gay man who grew up at a time when LGBT folks were put in jails and mental institutions, I can't tell you how much it meant to me and my husband @WardQNormal.🙏 pic.twitter.com/zL2roDNL0h
— Steve Silberman (@stevesilberman) March 1, 2020
Trailblazers often don't get to the end of the trail. Politics aside, Pete's candidacy meant a lot to so many voters out there who never thought that an out gay American could go as far as he did. The idea of that First Couple in people's minds was so inspiring #CoolLegacy
— Michael Shure (@michaelshure) March 1, 2020
@PeteButtigieg ran an amazing race, rising on his skill and ideas, with no national profile at the beginning of this race. He'll be a leader in the Democratic Party for decades to come. And the fact he went so far as an openly gay candidate should make us all proud.
— Neera Tanden🌻 (@neeratanden) March 1, 2020
It's worth noting that @PeteButtigieg, despite not winning the nomination, indisputably made history, as the first major openly gay presidential candidate, who indeed won Iowa
— Josh Lederman (@JoshNBCNews) March 1, 2020
As Pete Buttigieg drops out of the race, folks on his left who want to get more digs in as he leaves would do well to remember that queer kids are watching and have been all along. Don't shit on their self-worth for the sake of one more burn. He did something amazing. https://t.co/BoUyVPSR1d
— Tom and Lorenzo (@tomandlorenzo) March 1, 2020
No matter how you felt about him as a candidate (and I had my share of criticisms and questions), he did make history and hopefully made it slightly easier for other queer candidates to run for things going forward.
— Katelyn Burns (@transscribe) March 1, 2020
Mayor Pete ran a historic campaign – he's a rare political talent with a bright future. The fact that an openly gay mayor of South Bend outlasted senators and governors to narrowly win Iowa and come in third in the delegate count to date is extraordinary and deserves respect.
— John Avlon (@JohnAvlon) March 1, 2020
As a queer person, as a military veteran who lived under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", in a society that tells us there is a limit to what someone who is LGBTQ can do, I am incredibly proud of Pete Buttigieg's historic candidacy. He has inspired and galvanized millions. (1/3)
— Charlotte Clymer 🇺🇦 (@cmclymer) March 1, 2020
It was a magical run for Mayor Pete Buttigieg, but now it's over.
— Grant Stern (@grantstern) March 1, 2020
He won Iowa and is the first openly gay presidential nominee to Reardon delegates.
As a small-town Mayor, he raised $76 million dollars.
You haven't heard the last of Buttigieg.#DemocraticPrimary
3) All the people On Here and elsewhere who insulted him, mocked him, for not being Democratic enough, for not being gay enough, for not being progressive enough, for being insincere and manufactured… you were all, every one of you, dead wrong the whole time.
— @petersagal.bsky.social (@petersagal) March 1, 2020
No doubt Pete Buttigieg has a huge future in Democratic politics. The first major openly gay candidate for President, just 38 years old, played a massive part in shaping this primary.
— Michael Del Moro (@MikeDelMoro) March 1, 2020
Congrats to Pete on doing something that 17-year-old me never would have imagined possible when I started telling my friends that I am gay. https://t.co/Z40tngo5AW
— Chris “Law Dork” Geidner (@chrisgeidner) March 1, 2020
Pete is out. He ran a good and historic campaign and took some really crappy "not queer enough" potshots. He'll have a big future in Democratic politics and whomever the nominee is would be smart to harness him. https://t.co/y7ZZ1PNGLp
— Clara Jeffery (@ClaraJeffery) March 1, 2020
Idk maybe recognizing how fucking amazing it is that an openly gay man won an election 8 years after he was banned from being able to marry and forced to serve the country in the closet. Might've deserved some more mention than the wine cave but what do I know
— Tim Miller (@Timodc) March 1, 2020
Steyer has dropped out, now Pete is dropping out. The moderates are consolidating. This is going to be a rocky week. Whichever way your passion lies, this is the moment to drill down. The next two days are everything.
— Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) March 1, 2020
.@PeteButtigieg deserves enormous credit for this smart and selfless act for the good of the party. This should be of no surprise to any of us, however, as he ran a near pitch perfect campaign. A campaign that reflected his strong values, intelligence and leadership ability.
— John Delaney 🇺🇸 (@JohnDelaney) March 1, 2020
I can't wait to see what's ahead for @PeteButtigieg, but right now I'm heartened to know that his mere bid for presidency opened up the doors for some queer boy or some queer girl who may have thought they never had a chance.
— Chris Azzopardi (@chrisazzopardi) March 1, 2020
Pete Buttigieg's dropping out before Super Tuesday because he doesn't want to “steal delegates instead of uniting the party,” per source on his campaign.
— Chris Sommerfeldt (@C_Sommerfeldt) March 1, 2020
Source says there are “no plans at this time” for Buttigieg to endorse any of the other candidates.
Pete's success will no doubt lead to more LGBTQ candidates in political races large and small.
— Sarah Kate Ellis (@sarahkateellis) March 1, 2020
Thenk you @PeteButtigieg. You are an inspiration. Please come back for next election.
— Mia Farrow 🏳️🌈 🌻🇺🇸💙 (@MiaFarrow) March 1, 2020
Smart move. Unbelievable success story.
— Van Jones (@VanJones68) March 1, 2020
First openly gay candidate to make it this far in a presidential election.
This is not the last we'll be seeing of @PeteButtigieg … He's just getting started. #MayorPete https://t.co/SXpOlSXHm6
Not like being a 38 year old gay mayor of South Bend, Indiana is the most obvious way to trounce a dozen senators, governors and at least one billionaire in a presidential race. Like him or hate him, it's hard not to recognize Buttigieg and his team for what they built.
— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) March 1, 2020
Pete Buttigieg was for me the perfect candidate for president — brilliant, eloquent & uniquely qualified. I have no doubt he will remain a vital part of our national political conversation. Thank you, Pete, for all you have achieved. @PeteButtigieg @CNNPolitics @MSNBC
— Anne Rice (@AnneRiceAuthor) March 1, 2020
Damn. I am so impressed by @PeteButtigieg decision. If you don't want Sanders to be nominee it's a very selfless & difficult thing to do. He and thousands of his supporters worked so hard for this. Hats off to him @Lis_Smith @JessOConnell @mhalle @meiamanthony ❤️💪to all.
— Jennifer Palmieri (@jmpalmieri) March 1, 2020
Was not an active @petebuttigieg supporter…though I admire much about him and his campaign. But it must be acknowledged, few if any in this campaign season so far can be said to have changed American politics in a lasting way. But Pete has.
— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) March 1, 2020
Pete's decision to drop out is wise for 2 reasons:
— Chris Johnson (@chrisjohnson82) March 2, 2020
1) If more black voters rejected him on Super Tuesday, it would have cemented the image of black people not liking him in all future political endeavors.
2) It limits the pool of moderate candidates who share Pete's ideology.
Ditto. Except I'm a Boston Boy. @PeteButtigieg you're brilliant. You answer questions. You were calm, Incredibly smart and a class act. You were my only hope Obie Wan Kenobi… https://t.co/SEbVTwuG7K
— Mario Cantone (@macantone) March 2, 2020
Mayor Pete's message of unity is one we unfortunately rarely hear in politics. Not only did he make history as the first gay candidate to run a major presidential campaign, but he inspired many Americans along the way. I am sure that this is just the beginning for #PeteButtigieg. pic.twitter.com/IRn7WcmSkd
— Martin Luther King III (@OfficialMLK3) March 2, 2020
Which is why I care nothing about how historic it was for a Pete, an anti-Black white gay man to run for President.
— George M Johnson Garçon (@IamGMJohnson) March 2, 2020
I need folk championing him to really evaluate their advocacy to Black folks and specifically Black queer folx https://t.co/QwtBB5QE8h
Much respect tonight for @PeteButtigieg who is officially suspending his Presidential campaign. He gave the #LGBTQ community a lot to be proud of during this primary process.
— Thomas Roberts (@ThomasARoberts) March 2, 2020
I'm excited to see what he decides to do next. #MayorPete pic.twitter.com/5pG8AW2EST
I nominate @PeteButtigieg for next Secretary of Defense. He'd be a champion for our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. https://t.co/8VXwdDFR3O
— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) March 1, 2020
As someone who's dealt with fewer opportunities in my chosen industry for being openly gay years before that was welcome, I'm grateful to @PeteButtigieg & @Chas10Buttigieg for ignoring the odds & assumptions & creating a path for LGBTQ in politics that simply did not exist. 🙏🌈
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) March 2, 2020
