Why not Pete Buttigieg for Kamala Harris' vice president: Is it one to

Pete Buttigieg was officially inaugurated as Transportation Secretary by Vice President Kamala Harris in the Old Executive Office Building located in the White House complex in Washington on Wednesday, February 3, 2021.

There has been a lot of big news lately, including debates that didn't go well, attempts on someone's life, and the news that Senator J.D. Vance, author of "Hillbilly Elegy," will be running alongside former President Donald Trump.

Recently, Vice President Kamala Harris has risen to the highest position on the Democratic presidential list after receiving support from President Joe Biden, who has chosen not to run for reelection.

I've been listening to a lot of different names thrown around on TV news shows about who Harris might choose as her vice president. Some of the names that keep coming up on channels like MSNBC, CNN and Fox News are Governor Andy Beshear from Kentucky, Senator Mark Kelly from Arizona, Governor Gretchen Whitmer from Michigan, and Governor Josh Shapiro from Pennsylvania. These choices all seem logical given their experience, backgrounds, and locations, which could help attract voters in Republican and swing states.

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But there is one person, especially in the world of TV news, who is barely mentioned or acknowledged: Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

Pete Buttigieg, the Transportation Secretary of the United States, spoke at the start of a new $1.5 billion rail project called “America’s Green Gateway” in Long Beach on July 18, 2024. This project aims to improve transportation services by moving goods from ships to various locations across the country using trains instead of trucks running on diesel fuel.

In interviews, Buttigieg has mentioned that he and Vance have some similarities. They are both white, male, millennials, and from the Midwest. Buttigieg is from South Bend, Indiana, where he served as mayor from 2012 to 2020. Like Vance, he attended Harvard University, where he studied history and literature. Buttigieg also became a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford. Both men are also veterans, with Buttigieg serving as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

However, aside from their contrasting styles of leadership, the individuals have very distinct social priorities.

Although Buttigieg is a gay man who is married and a father, Vance is a straight man who not only opposes marriage equality but also a range of LGBTQ rights issues. He has expressed his support for Project 2025, which aims to roll back many important rights and protections that the LGBTQ community has fought hard for. This includes advocating for the Department of Justice to defend the rights of individuals who wish to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people, as well as restricting Title VII's protections against sex discrimination for queer individuals. Project 2025 also criticizes the increasing acceptance of transgender individuals in American society and calls for a reversal of policies allowing transgender individuals to serve in the military.

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Despite being in the early stages, that could be the reason why Buttigieg isn't being talked about as a potential candidate on TV.

Harris, who was born in Oakland to an Indian mother and Jamaican American father, is breaking new ground. She is the first woman to serve as vice president and, if elected, will also become the first woman president and the first person of South Asian descent to hold the office. Some pundits question whether Buttigieg's sexuality is a barrier in more conservative swing states, as it adds another "first" to the ticket.

Kirsten Gillibrand, Pete Buttigieg, and Kamala Harris waited outside the office of a detention center in Homestead, Florida on June 28, 2019, where migrant children were being held.

In the midst of all the crazy news lately, I've been reflecting on some significant political milestones that I’ve witnessed in my lifetime. Not too long ago, the question of whether America was ready for a Black president was a major topic surrounding Barack Obama's campaign. Similarly, gender plays a huge role in conversations about Hillary Clinton, with people questioning whether America is prepared for a female president. I’ve heard all sorts of reasons why some doubt a woman leader, like concerns about respect on the world stage or the ability of the armed forces to take orders. But with 70 other countries having already female leaders and countless men serving under female commanders, these doubts seem unfounded.

Did America think it was okay to choose a Black president? Yes. But not everyone in America was okay with a Black person being president, as seen with the Tea Party movement and the emergence of alt-right hate groups. The same goes for a woman president, especially since Clinton won the popular vote in 2016. I'm guessing it will be the same when a LGBTQ person holds one of the top two positions in office.

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At times, the speed of cultural change in America outpaces the recognition of key political figures on television. This has frequently been the case when it comes to LGBTQ matters; it often seems like we are overlooked or excluded from discussions altogether. The message often feels like, "your time will come, just be patient."

Just thinking about Buttigieg as Harris' vice president gets me excited, especially seeing how well he does in debates. When he's on Fox News, he skillfully defends his record and the administration with politeness and thoroughness. He not only knows his facts and communicates effectively on transportation matters, but he also has a subtle hint of wit that adds to his television presence. It's almost like a touch of sly humor or sarcasm that only some may pick up on.

Contact Tony Bravo at [email protected].

Arts and Culture Writer

Tony Bravo writes about the arts, LGBTQ community, and pop culture for the San Francisco Chronicle. His column is published in print every Monday. Bravo began working at the Chronicle in 2015 as a reporter for the Style section and also wrote a column about relationships. He hosts a live interview series called "Show & Tell" monthly at Four One Nine and created an LGBTQ audio tour called "Over the Rainbow in the Castro" available on the VoiceMap Chronicle app. Bravo also teaches journalism at the City College of San Francisco Fashion Department as an adjunct instructor.