National reaction is pouring in after South Bend's mayor

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It wasn't a surprise, just a matter of when.

"I will not be seeking a third term as mayor," Pete Buttigieg said during a Monday news conference.

More time in South Bend isn't part of his plan, but he's hush about where he'll go next. Despite the secrecy, local political experts agree it's his time.

"He's at the top of his game now," political columnist Jack Colwell said.

Colwell thinks the Oval Office is a longshot, but with Buttigieg's Thursday trip to speak to progressives in Iowa, he said "Mayor Pete" is continuing to impress the right people.

"If a Democrat is elected President, maybe a position in the cabinet or some important appointment or something outside of politics," Colwell said.

"He does have his autobiography coming out soon," Indiana University South Bend political science professor Elizabeth Bennion said.

Bennion believes that Buttigieg, with his youth and outspokenness, has positioned himself as someone who could benefit Democrats.

"As a 36-year-old who won the mayoral race in his 20s, he represents a possible new generation of the Democratic Party. He's also been very vocal about the direction he thinks the party should go," she said.

Both experts believe South Bend will survive Buttigieg's exit, but they are curious to see who will step up.