It’s been a while since Barack Obama’s campaign headquarters provided a jolt of political adrenaline to downtown Chicago. Now another presidential hopeful is providing at least a partial reprise.

That’s South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, whose Chicago office has grown to about 30 staffers who might find the Loop and its proximity to O’Hare and Midway airports more convenient than Indiana.

The latest to join Buttigieg’s battalion here is Sean Savett, who had handled media chores for U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., but now is rapid-response communications director for the Buttigieg campaign.

“I like the adrenaline,” says Savett, whose job is to instantly hop on and hopefully defang any negative news about his candidate. Crisis public-relations in a presidential race truly is a 24/7 job.

“This definitely is a growing outpost,” says Savett, noting the office now is home to not only communications but finance and field staffers. “And a lot of people pass through Chicago. It’s very convenient.”

Others with local political roots have moved to the Buttigieg office here, including Duckworth fundraiser Leah Israel; former Toni Preckwinkle campaign staffer Chris Meagher, who’s the national press secretary, and political director Stephen Brokaw, a former Obama staffer.

Perhaps not surprisingly, since Buttigieg is a Midwest guy, he's found considerable success in raising money here, including help on that front from former congressional hopeful John Atkinson, party activist Marty Castro, former Ambassador Andy Schapiro and others.

Of course, it’s still early in the Democratic presidential derby. Buttigieg certainly will make the first cut or two in a field that now includes more than 20 candidates. If so, look for the size of that Chicago staff to keep growing.

This story has been updated to correct the fact that Leah Israel continues to work as a fundraiser for Sen. Duckworth.