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Pete Buttigieg
No decision has been made, but U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who resides in Traverse City with husband Chasten, is exploring the possibility of running for governor in Michigan, the Detroit News reports.
The News reports:
Three Michigan Democrats who declined to be identified because of the nature of the private conversations said, within the last two months, they had each spoken directly with Buttigieg, who wanted to get their thoughts on the lay of the land in state politics. Six other sources told The Detroit News they were aware of Buttigieg having similar meetings or discussions recently with Michigan Democratic Party stakeholders and donors.
Some of the sources said they saw the meetings as an indication Buttigieg was seriously looking at the possibility of a gubernatorial run, while others said they believed Buttigieg's plans might have been altered by the Nov. 5 presidential election.
If he decides to jump into the race, he would likely square off in the Democratic primary against Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and possibly Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is running as an Independent.
Two years ago, Buttigieg moved to Traverse City where his husband is from.
If elected, he would become the first openly gay governor of Michigan. Other states that currently have LGBQT governors include Colorado, Massachusetts and Oregon.
