Popular Pete Buttigieg spoke at Aldo Leopold Middle School in Burlington Monday night for a crowd of about 300 who ate up every word.

Presidential candidate Buttigieg is currently ranked No. 4 by the Washington Post in polling for the upcoming Iowa caucuses, which are only two weeks away. Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is one of 12 Democratic candidates running for president in Iowa.

About 500 people heard Buttigieg speak at his last appearance, in August, at the Port of Burlington, but it was much warmer outdoors back then.

Last night, Buttigieg reinforced his positions on economic change, climate change and changing health care costs.

Outgoing Iowa congressman Dave Loebsack introduced Buttigieg.

"We're going to get the respect of the world back," Loebsack said of Buttigieg, whom he endorsed last week. "And I'm happy I can finally pronounce his last name."

Buttigieg began by talking briefly about defeating President Donald Trump in November before moving on to topics closer to home in Iowa.

"People ask me, 'What business do you have running as president when you're just a mayor?'" Buttigieg said, pointing out he's not from a major metro area. "We need more voices like ours in Washington. It's time for that kind of change."

He told an anecdote about running into a former military friend from his military service who was wearing a prosthetic leg. The woman was ready to embark on another deployment.

"We owe it to her and her family to see no one ever has to do that again," Buttigieg said.

After speaking about gun violence and medical insurance he highlighted Iowa's historic role in former presidential elections before moving on to the town hall format of audience questions.

One woman asked how Buttigieg will approach availability for mental health care for Americans, which he talked about at length.

"We have to be ready to talk about this and deal with it as readily as we do any other issue," he said. "We have teachers expected to be on the frontlines of the mental health issue without any tools. There has to be a president willing to give voice to this issue. We cannot allow this to be silent anymore."

Burlington school board member Tom Courtney asked Buttigieg for his position on charter schools as opposed to public schools.

"I see no future for for-profit charter schools," Buttigieg answered. "Charter schools should be held to the same accountability as public schools."

Another man asked about student debt.

"They arranged the presidential candidates by wealth, and I'm at the absolute bottom of the list," Buttigieg answered to laughter. He pointed out that his own family struggled with student loan debt.

Another woman said, "Um, term limits" to much laughter.

"I think they're overrated; the lobbyists remain," Buttigieg said. "The problem in my view is redistricting. The district is drawn to decide the outcome of the election before the first vote is cast. I don't feel America would be a better place if we had denied Iowans the opportunity to re-elect Tom Harkin."

Buttigieg then gave a shout-out to Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden for their long public service records.

"I know my position on [term limits] is unpopular; it's just what I believe," he said.

A woman called Buttigieg "a humble guy" and asked what one thing he brings to the table better than the other candidates.

"If you're looking at time spent in Washington, I'm clearly not your candidate," he said.

Another woman expressed concern about the Democrats getting someone on stage to debate Trump. "What makes you the best for that?" she asked.

"I'm somebody who actually comes from the industrial Midwest, which he claims to support," Buttigieg said. "If he wants to do the tough talk, he'll have to do it standing next to a war veteran who will ask him to explain where he served. I've seen much worse incoming than a Tweet full of typos."

He said the key is to deny Trump the power to change the subject.

"The less we're talking about him, the more we're talking about you, and that's how we're going to win," Buttigieg said.

And finally, a woman asked how he'll help Americans afford prescription drug prices, pointing out she pays $500 for one month's supply.

"First of all, we make sure everyone is covered," Buttigieg said. "Second thing we have to do is allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices with the drug companies."

Buttigieg wrapped up by recognizing local precinct leaders and volunteers and asking everyone present to spread the hope that America will become a better place.

"I'm offering a presidency where, when you turn on the news, you might actually feel your blood pressure go down," he said.

Buttigieg received a standing O and the de rigueur selfie crush began.

"I'm here for Pete because Pete is the future of the party," Loebsack told The Hawk Eye afterwards. "He's the best candidate to bring the country together."

Courtney, who has yet to endorse a candidate, said Buttigieg gave a good answer to his question about charter schools, adding that charters serve a purpose.

"He gave a really good answer," Courtney said of Buttigieg. "This guy has a good answer for everything."