South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg has been blazing the campaign trail as he seeks re-election in Indiana's fourth-largest city.
Buttigieg has drawn much acclaim in his first term. In 2013, civic technology website GovFresh.com named him mayor of the year - tying him with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and last year the Washington Post called him "the most interesting mayor you've never heard of."
But the up-and-comer's largest contribution to Indiana politics could come from his personal life.
Leading By Example
When South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks to crowds, he speaks with passion for the city he leads.
"I got the best job in the world as the mayor of my hometown," he told attendees at a recent gathering for the Columbus Democratic Party.
The 33-year-old Democrat seems unafraid of getting political and blaming his conservative counterparts for believing things he says just don't make sense.
"They believe that people get up in the morning and decide who they're going to fall in love with," he says. "I've never met anyone in the world who thinks that happened to them, but they believe that happens to other people - certain other people."
Buttigieg was elected at age 29, making him the youngest mayor of a U.S. city with more than 100,000 residents.
He's also the first openly LGBT executive official in the Hoosier State and the highest-ranking elected official to come out. In an essay published in June, he said he thought the decision to come out as gay could do some good.
"Look, Indiana is a state that is welcoming to all, but our politics haven't reflected that," the mayor says.
Indiana is a state that is welcoming to all, but our politics haven't reflected that.
At the time, Indiana was still reeling from a national controversy surrounding the Religious Freedom Restoration Act - a moment that sent state officials into panic, going so far as to hire a public relations firm to repair Indiana's image.
Buttigieg characterizes his coming out simply, saying it was "just something he had to do."
"I want to be evaluated on the kind of job that I'm doing," he says. "Are the potholes getting filled in? Is the trash getting picked up? Is the snow getting plowed? Are neighborhoods getting better? Is our downtown stronger?"
A Significant Decision
The debate over statewide civil protections for LGBT Hoosiers has advocacy groups like Freedom Indiana gearing up for a battle in the Statehouse next year, and the Democratic Party is already taking action.
Senate Democratic Leader Tim Lanane, D-Anderson, unveiled a proposal earlier this week to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the state civil rights statute.
Indiana House Republicans say it's too early for them to speculate on legislation that might materialize in the 2016 legislative session, which doesn't begin until Jan. 5.
Still, Freedom Indiana campaign manager Chris Paulsen says Buttigieg's decision to live openly is significant.
"I think him doing that will definitely give people someone to look at that they know that is gay, and he does a great job in South Bend leading their town," says Paulsen. "I think that brings Hoosiers over to see that just because he's gay doesn't mean he can't do his job or should be denied housing or service."
But Paulsen says Buttigieg's coming out creates a personal connection in the fight for civil equality - a sentiment Indiana Democratic Party chair John Zody echoes.
"For an elected official to do it, I think helps even more," Zody says. "It sets an example. I think people look to their elected officials for leadership and a measure of security."
Making An Impression
It's Buttigieg's leadership that's landed him on the radar of the state Democratic Party. Zody commends the mayor's accomplishments, saying he's worked smart in a time where local governments are facing budget strains.
"The riverfront has undergone some changes. Downtown has undergone some changes," Zody says. "When you see those things that a young leader like Mayor Buttigieg is undertaking, all under the constraints of doing more with less, I think we're seeing him as a person who certainly stands out as someone who's solving the problems."
For now Buttigieg is setting his political sights on winning re-election in South Bend. He's up against Republican candidate Kelly Jones, and he says he's backing Democratic candidates stepping up across the state and country.
"We need good candidates stepping forward at every level from the most obscure, poorly compensated local office there is in the smallest town, all the way up to the White House," he says.
And Zody says Buttigieg's political career is far from over.
"His future, I'm sure he'll tell you, will take care of itself," Zody says. "But he's on his way up."
