This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. To get regular coverage from Bridge Michigan, sign up for a free Bridge Michigan newsletter here.
Pete Buttigieg endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson on Monday while hinting at his own future.
Buttigieg, the former secretary of transportation under President Joe Biden, moved to the Traverse City area with his family in 2022. He passed on runs both for Michigan governor and the US Senate, but has visited states with early presidential primaries, and the speech he gave in support of Benson at Right Brain Brewery teased higher aspirations.
“There’s only so much we can do about (the White House) at the moment, but believe me, I’m working on that,” he told attendees to loud applause.
He listed President Donald Trump’s alleged misdeeds and said “we just can't possibly have” good roads, schools and hospitals, while the wealthiest Americans have lower tax rates than the people working on them.
But Buttigieg was there to endorse Benson. Secretary of state since 2019, Benson has a single primary opponent in Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson.
“I have seen (Benson) from her earliest days running for office, being relentlessly focused on actually delivering some of the unglamorous blocking and tackling type of stuff that a government delivery nerd like me can love,” Buttigieg said.
Buttigieg said secretary of state “is supposed to be a pretty uninteresting job, frankly,” but “never could imagine the ways in which she would be tested in the role,” highlighting the 2020 presidential election, the protests outside her home and pressure from Trump — things Benson frequently mentions in her own stump speeches.
“The combination of courage and competence, that relationship, and just rolling up your sleeves and getting it done and showing integrity while doing so, is something that we need more than we ever thought we did,” Buttigieg said.
Terri Bennett attended the event said she admired what Benson had done leading the Michigan Department of State.
“I remember sitting in the lines for hours, and now, the office is so much more efficient. You can do so much more online,” Bennett said.
After the speeches, Benson called Buttigieg a “great friend” who she’s known for decades and said they would campaign together. They bonded over parenting and public service, she said.
“To have him now actively as part of this campaign, is thrilling and exciting,” she said.
The event with Buttigieg was part of Benson’s “costs down, wages up” tour that’s taken her across much of Michigan.
Absentee voting has already begun for the Aug. 4 primary.
This article first appeared on Bridge Michigan and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.