INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Indiana, launched an underdog 2020 bid for the White House on Wednesday, aiming to stand out as a problem-solving Midwestern outsider who
would be the first openly gay nominee of a major U.S
political party.The relatively unknown Buttigieg, 37, a two-term mayor of the Rust Belt city of about 100,000 people, said he represented a
new generation of leadership with fresh approaches to the country's problems.In an email and video to supporters, he offered a sharp
contrast to Republican President Donald Trump's nostalgia-driven message invoking an America of the past."My generation is the generation
that experienced school shootings beginning when I was in high school, the generation that fought in the post-9/11 wars, the first
generation to have to deal with the reality of climate change, and the first generation not to be better off than our parents materially -
if nothing changes," Buttigieg said."Only a forward focus - untethered from the politics of the past and anchored by our shared values - can
change our national politics and our nation's future."Buttigieg enters what is expected to be a crowded Democratic field of candidates vying
for the right to challenge Trump, the likely Republican presidential nominee, in 2020
The mayor formed an exploratory committee to begin raising money and hiring staff to compete for the Democratic nomination.He will face a
tough task raising funds and building a coalition of support in a race that will feature many candidates with greater name recognition and
bigger donor networks.Other Democratic rivals for the nomination include U.S
Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Kamala Harris of California and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, as well as U.S
Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and former San Antonio mayor and U.S
housing secretary Julian Castro.Speaking to reporters in Washington, where he was attending a national mayors conference, Buttigieg
acknowledged the odds but touted his unique candidacy."When it comes to experience right now, nothing could be more relevant than leading
one of America's turnaround cities," he said."I belong to a party whose characteristic has always been to look for fresh voices, new
leadership and big ideas, and I think that's what 2020 is going to be about."As mayor of South Bend, a blue-collar town that is home to the
University of Notre Dame, Buttigieg made redevelopment a top priority and was named mayor of the year in 2013 by the website GovFresh.com
He signalled his White House run in December when he announced he would not seek a third term as mayor.Republicans dismissed Buttigieg's
candidacy as a waste of time and said he should focus on South Bend's problems."His bid isn't just bad news for residents, it's more proof
that Democrats are about to endure the most crowded, divisive, and contentious primary in history," said Republican National Committee
spokesman Michael Ahrens.Buttigieg began building a national profile in 2017 with an unsuccessful run for chairman of the Democratic
Former President Barack Obama mentioned him in an interview shortly before leaving the White House as a young Democrat with a bright
future.The Harvard graduate and former Rhodes Scholar returned to his hometown of South Bend and was elected mayor in 2012 at the age of 29
He served a seven-month Naval Reserve tour in Afghanistan while mayor and came out as gay in a 2015 column for the local newspaper
He married in June 2018.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by TheIndianSubcontinent staff and is published from a
