Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg took the stage Sunday at a downtown San Diego music venue to meet with supporters and outline his vision for the future, sharing that he’d look for experts to form a Cabinet that fights for education and the environment.

The mayor of South Bend, Ind., answered pre-written questions at the House of Blues San Diego for roughly an hour, touching on issues related to the climate change, gun control and education, supporters said. The event was closed to the media.

“I’m just really impressed with his humanity, his erudition, with everything he has to say,” Anita Bowen, of San Diego, said after the event.

Ticket prices ranged between $25 to $2,800, with some getting the chance to meet the 37-year-old Buttigieg. Campaign officials estimated the event drew about 700.


Buttigieg’s visit came as he emerged as the front-runner for likely Democratic caucusgoers in an Iowa poll released over the weekend. Buttigieg surpassed Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden in the latest CNN/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll.

He arrived in San Diego a day after he joined other candidates at the California Democratic Party convention in Long Beach.

“It’s my chance to see him speak and see if everything that I’m seeing and hearing and thinking about him is the real deal,” said 30-year-old Clairemont resident Amanda Wildes.

Following the event, she and other supporters said they were impressed by plans Buttigieg shared about the Cabinet he intends to assemble. They said Buttigieg told the crowd he would tap experts who are proponents of issues such as climate change and education. Supporters said the answer showed Buttigieg’s humility and willingness to learn. One woman also said Buttigieg said he would want women to represent 50 percent of his Cabinet members.


“He has all this hope and wants to use the wealth of knowledge around him for good,” Wildes said after the event.

She added: “I think he’s the real deal.”

She and other supporters said they were attracted to the openly gay veteran’s moderate political views and plain-spoken style.

Some got the chance to exchange words with Buttigieg.


Kieran Smiley, who lives in the Tierrasanta neighborhood of San Diego, said he and his husband told Buttigieg they appreciate his stance on religious values, adding that the mayor is “taking that back” from conservative Republicans who claim to have the hold on such values.

Smiley said Buttigieg responded by saying, “We can really change the conversation on that.”

Smiley said he’d like to hear more from Buttigieg about his efforts to reach out to marginalized communities.

Lisa Williams, a kindergarten teacher who lives and works in San Marcos, said she thanked Buttigieg for supporting teachers and students.


“He said, ‘Help is on the way,’” Williams, 58, said. “That was great to hear as a teacher.”

Not all attendees were impressed.

Nikayla Jefferson and Leah Spinner, both 23 and members of San Diego Hub of Sunrise, a group that pushes for climate policies, said they were disappointed with Buttigieg’s responses to questions they asked about climate change as Buttigieg walked out. They said Buttigieg pointed to a climate plan he unveiled in September, but Jefferson and Spinner said they believe the proposal isn’t bold enough to combat climate change.

“I guess we don’t agree,” Buttigieg can be heard telling Jefferson in a video she recorded on her cellphone. “Thanks for coming.”


Jefferson said she expected more from a candidate who intends to appeal to younger voters, many of whom point to climate change as a top concern.

“Climate change is very important to me, and I need a candidate who will be not only a national leader but also a global leader in the climate fight, and I don’t think he’s the person,” Jefferson said.

Others said they were sure the mayor was the right candidate for them.

Katy De Oliveira, who is seven months pregnant, said Buttigieg’s comments gave her hope.


“Sometimes it’s scary to think about bringing a new baby into the word, but Pete gives me hope that my husband I and are bringing a baby into a world that will still have a light at the end of the day,” the 33-year-old San Diego resident said.

The event marked Buttigieg’s second visit to San Diego this year. He came in July for a private fundraiser in La Jolla.