Resilience and perseverance in the journey of Pete Buttigieg. A timeline of obstacles and growth.
Pete Buttigieg is an American politician and former naval officer, most notably serving as the U.S. Secretary of Transportation (2021-2025) and as the Mayor of South Bend, Indiana (2012-2020). A member of the Democratic Party, his mayoral tenure earned him the moniker "Mayor Pete." His career blends political leadership with prior military service.
2010: Democratic nominee for state treasurer
In 2010, Buttigieg was the Democratic nominee for state treasurer of Indiana but lost to the Republican incumbent.
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2010: Todd Young's Support for "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
In 2010, Todd Young voiced his support for retaining the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. This stance was later criticized by Buttigieg during the 2016 U.S. Senate election in Indiana, where Young was running against Evan Bayh, who had voted to repeal the policy.
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2011: EPA Levied Fine Against South Bend
In 2011, prior to Buttigieg's tenure, the EPA had levied a fine against the city of South Bend for Clean Water Act violations. This fine served as the impetus for the city's smart sewer program.
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2012: Demotion of police chief Darryl Boykins
In 2012, Buttigieg demoted South Bend police chief Darryl Boykins after a federal investigation ruled that police had illegally recorded telephone calls of several officers.
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2012: Boykins asked to resign as mayor
In 2012, Buttigieg made his "first serious mistake as mayor" by asking Darryl Boykins to resign.
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2015: 2015 Rail Safety Rule
In the weeks following the derailment, the Transportation Department, under Buttigieg, did not move to reinstate the 2015 rail safety rule aimed at expanding the use of better braking technology, which the Trump administration had revoked.
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2017: Revocation of Obama-Era Pilot Program
In 2017, the Obama-era pilot program which ensures local hiring for public works projects was revoked during the Trump administration, before being reinstated by Buttigieg in 2021.
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June 2019: Shooting of Eric Logan and Public Reaction
In June 2019, after a white South Bend police officer shot and killed Eric Logan, an African American man, Buttigieg paused his presidential campaign to address the public reaction. This included a town hall meeting with disaffected activists and relatives of Logan.
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November 2019: Review of South Bend Police Department Policies Commissioned
In November 2019, Buttigieg secured $180,000 to commission a review of South Bend's police department policies and practices. This review was to be conducted by the Chicago-based consulting firm 21CP Solutions, following the shooting of Eric Logan.
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2019: Buttigieg Requests Release from EPA Agreement
In 2019, Buttigieg requested that South Bend be released from an agreement with the EPA. This agreement, brokered under his mayoral predecessor, committed South Bend to making hundreds of millions of dollars in further improvements to its sewer system by 2031.
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March 1, 2020: Buttigieg dropped out of presidential race
On March 1, 2020, Buttigieg dropped out of the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primary.
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August 2021: Parental Leave
In August 2021, Pete Buttigieg began his parental leave after the birth of his twins, which later became a point of criticism from conservative figures.
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October 2021: Supply Chain Bottleneck Prediction
By October 2021, with global supply bottlenecks resulting in record shortages, Pete Buttigieg predicted the disruptions would continue into the next year.
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2022: Criticism for Airline Oversight
In 2022, Pete Buttigieg faced criticism for his handling of issues in United States passenger aviation, specifically not penalizing negligent airlines enough.
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2022: Southwest Airlines Consumer Protection Violations
In 2022, Southwest Airlines had mass violations of consumer protection laws.
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February 3, 2023: East Palestine Train Derailment
On February 3, 2023, a freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, leading to evacuations and environmental concerns.
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February 23, 2023: NTSB Releases Preliminary Report on Derailment
On February 23, 2023, the NTSB released a preliminary report stating that the wheel bearings overheated.
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March 2023: Buttigieg Addresses Derailment Response Criticism
In March 2023, Pete Buttigieg acknowledged he erred in not visiting East Palestine sooner and failing to anticipate the fallout from the derailment.
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2031: Sewer Improvement Deadline
In 2031, South Bend was originally scheduled to complete hundreds of millions of dollars in further improvements to its sewer system, as per the agreement with the EPA brokered under Buttigieg's mayoral predecessor. Buttigieg later asked for the city to be released from this agreement.
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