Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., was featured in a June New York Times op-ed titled, "The First Gay President?" | AP Photo Indiana mayor weighs DNC chair bid

The race for the Democratic National Committee chairmanship might get another contestant: Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind.

The 34-year-old Buttigieg — who was featured in a June New York Times op-ed titled, "The First Gay President?" — is testing the waters for a run, according to multiple Democrats with knowledge of his thinking.


"I know that he's taken phone calls from [DNC] members. I think he's doing more listening than talking, primarily," said a top Indiana Democrat. "My understanding is he's listening and thinking about it."

If Buttigieg runs, he would be the fourth declared candidate in the DNC race: Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Jaime Harrison, and New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley have all announced their candidacies.

Labor Secretary Tom Perez is expected to formally jump into the race later on this week, having received encouragement from establishment Democrats and White House operatives.

"I’ve been talking with a number of fellow local and state leaders from around the country about the future direction of the Democratic Party," Buttigieg wrote Tuesday in an email to POLITICO, when asked if he is planning to run for DNC chair. "I am staying focused on South Bend, but I do care deeply about where our country is headed. It’s clear the party needs to connect better with communities like my hometown, where working people are looking for economic fairness and for leadership that focuses on our shared values."

Buttigieg did not respond to followup questions about his interest but Democrats familiar with the mayor's thinking say he's received encouragement in and outside his state about running and is taking that support seriously.

A Harvard graduate, Rhodes Scholar and lieutenant in the Navy Reserve, Buttigieg is considered one of the few Democratic rising stars in increasingly red Indiana.

"If you're going to talk about Midwestern stars you gotta be hearing rumors about Mayor Pete Buttigieg," said Jason Critchlow, chairman of South Bend's St. Joseph County Democratic Party. "I mean it's not just that he's this rising star in Indiana. With the problems that the Democratic Party is facing right now, here's a guy in Indiana that's succeeding on all levels with every level of voter, the blue collar voter, the white collar, professional voters. So it doesn't surprise me at all, especially given his background."

