Pete Buttigieg, the former South Bend, Indiana mayor and one of the Democratic presidential frontrunners, is set to enter enemy territory. According to recent reports, Buttigieg is set to headline an upcoming FOX News Town Hall which will take place just over one week before the Iowa caucus.
The town hall will take place on January 26 in Des Moines, Iowa, according to Deadline.
Buttigieg previously headlined a FOX News Town Hall in May 2019 and is only one of six Democratic candidates to appear on the “rival” news network.
The Democratic National Committee has refused to allow FOX News to co-sponsor one of its primary debates, but Buttigieg is willing to answer the tough questions as he continues his message of bringing people from all walks of life together.
Other candidates to participate in FOX News Town Halls are Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Julian Castro, the former secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
Buttigieg is currently leading in Iowa with 22 percent support among potential caucusgoers. Senator Bernie Sanders follows behind at 20 percent, while former Vice President Joe Biden has 18.8 percent support and Senator Elizabeth Warren has 16 percent. Buttigieg also polls in the top two for another early primary state, New Hampshire.
The Iowa Caucus will be held on February 3, 2020, so we will have to wait and see whether Buttigieg’s early support holds up and if he can continue to gain momentum in the race.
Pete Buttigieg Bio & Personal Life
Born: January 19, 1982 (37 years old)
Political Party: Democratic Party
Education: Saint Joseph’s High School, Harvard College, University of Oxford, Harvard University
Pete Buttigieg was born in South Bend, Indiana to Jennifer Anne Montgomery and Joseph Buttigieg, who were both professors at the University of Notre Dame. His father immigrated to the United States from Malta, while his mother was a lifelong Indiana native.
Buttigieg was a commissioned Naval intelligence officer in the Navy Reserve and deployed to Afghanistan in 2014. Buttigieg was deployed overseas for seven months. During his time in the military, he earned the Joint Service Commendation Medal for his counterterrorism work.
Buttigieg was just 29 years old when he was elected in 2011 and is currently in his eighth and final year as the Mayor of South Bend, Indiana. During his re-election big in 2015, Buttigieg won a whopping 80 percent of the vote.
Buttigieg is the first openly gay municipal executive in Indiana and has been married to his husband, Chasten Glezman, since June 16, 2018. The couple began dating in August 2015.