Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg is directly taking aim at his Democratic rivals. Ahead of the New Hampshire primary, Buttigieg took a shot at Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, saying the Democratic socialist would have trouble in the general election.
Buttigieg says that Sanders’ proposals and the socialist label could turn off centrist voters and moderates who are not willing to go too far left.
“I think it would be very difficult, and it’s not just because of the labels,” Buttigieg said during an interview with NBC’s Today, according to the New York Post. “When you look at what he’s proposing in terms of the budget, all the things he’s put forward and how to pay for them, there’s a $25 trillion hole in how to pay for everything he’s put forward.”
Whether Sanders could take down Trump in the general election remains to be seen. For now, he will keep his focus on the Democratic primaries and caucuses, including Tuesday’s crucial New Hampshire primary.
The New Hampshire primary takes place on Tuesday, February 11 with Sanders currently leading Buttigieg in the latest polls.
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.