“I firmly believe that in these years, in our time, we can and we will make American life and politics more like what it could be, not just more wise and more prosperous, but more equitable and more just and more decent,” he said, as supporters cheered and chanted “BOOT-EDGE-EGE.”
Before Buttigieg took the stage, his husband, Chasten, gave an emotional speech, emphasizing the historic weight of the campaign and the significance of the first openly gay candidate to make a serious run at a major party’s nomination for president. Several times, his voice wavered, and he paused to wipe tears.
“Life gave me some interesting experiences on my way to find Pete,” he said. “After falling in love with Pete, Pete got me to believe in myself again. And I told Pete to run because I knew there were other kids sitting out there in this country, who needed to believe in themselves, too.”
The announcement comes a day after Buttigieg finished fourth in South Carolina’s Democratic primary, the party’s fourth nominating contest. Buttigieg had finished in a virtual tie in Iowa’s caucuses, then second in New Hampshire and third in Nevada.
Iowa and New Hampshire are predominately white states, but Buttigieg struggled to attract support in the more diverse states of Nevada and South Carolina. According to exit polls, he earned the backing of just 3% of African American voters in South Carolina; black voters made up a majority of the Democratic electorate.
Buttigieg’s departure could help boost the campaign of former Vice President Joe Biden, who has been competing for some of the same moderate voters and is trying to catch up to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sander’s delegate lead on Super Tuesday.
The Sanders campaign is pushing back on the idea that the shake up hurts Sanders more than anyone else.
“His supporters are going to be more up for grabs,” Sanders’ campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, told NPR. “I think people are far more complicated in their ideology than pundits like to suggest.”