After nearly two months of campaigning, South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg dropped his bid to be the chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Saturday afternoon just minutes before the vote. He did not publicly endorse another candidate.
Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez went on to defeat Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) to lead the DNC.
Nan Whaley, the mayor of Dayton, had formally nominated Buttigieg just moments before he dropped his bid.
“It’s time for the party that I step aside,” Buttigieg said in a short speech to DNC members.
Perez, who had been a front-runner for the duration of the race, issued a statement immediately after Buttigieg’s announcement.
“I am confident Pete has a bright future ahead of him in the Democratic Party, and I plan to work with him to make that future a reality,” he said in the statement.
Fifth-year Bryan Ricketts, one of the 15 to 20 students from Notre Dame who were involved in working on Buttigieg’s campaign, said he was still expecting great things from Buttigieg.
“I’m happy to see Pete carry on his message of being a happy warrior, continuing to do great things in our community and organize around the principles of the Democratic party,” he said. “I look forward to seeing what comes next.”
Andrew Galo, a senior who worked on Buttigieg's campaign, said that while he was “disappointed” by Buttigieg's loss, he was looking forward to the future.
“We’re excited about [Buttigieg’s] prospects, and we’re excited to have him back in South Bend,” he said. “We’re glad he’s on the national stage now … he has a good base and a good party to push forward in the next four years.”
