I am a politically engaged woman from Minnesota. I like Amy Klobuchar. I voted for her, and will likely do so again in the future. I am voting for Pete Buttigieg in the primary- here’s why.

Let me start by saying that I think Amy is great at what she does. I am proud to call her my senator, and think she has consistently gotten the job done in Washington amid so much partisan gridlock. That being said, I have been all-in supporting former Mayor Pete Buttigieg for almost a year now in the presidential primary.

Amy is great at writing laws and working behind the scenes with other members of congress to get important legislation passed. She has proposed that this prepares her to lead our federal government. It is a great skill set, but it is not the only one to consider when choosing someone to be our president. In fact, I believe it’s almost an entirely separate skill set from what a president needs to have.

At the risk of diving into ‘teacher-mode’ (I teach elementary kiddos) and over-explaining our branches of government- how they work and their purpose, there is a distinct difference between the legislative and executive branches that doesn’t get talked about enough in the media or in online discourse.

The legislative branch, where Amy has the bulk of her political experience, writes, debates, and passes laws.

The executive branch, where Pete has his experience, carries out and enforces the laws.

The President of the United States of America is part of the executive branch. The President doesn’t write laws, congress does. The President doesn’t debate laws, congress does. The President doesn’t pass laws, congress does (or in our case, congress doesn’t, but that’s a topic for a WHOLE SEPARATE ARTICLE). The President makes sure the laws go into effect and oversees them as part of their vision for this country. The President oversees their team- foreign diplomats, advisors, agencies, as well as the military, and makes sure that everyone is working together.

That’s the kind of experience that Pete Buttigieg among others, have had as mayors and governors. A management position. As Mayor, Pete Buttigieg has managed a city, its laws and the people who live there with transformative success. He joined his vision for South Bend, Indiana with action, and achieved a revival in what had been called a “dying city” just a few years before. It’s true, no one is fully prepared to be President of the United States of America because there is no other job exactly like it on the planet, but these executive positions have more skills that directly transfer into what we need in a president than ones from legislative positions.

But government experience isn’t the only experience we should count. Pete’s business and military experience have also contributed to his well-rounded approach to policy proposals and his vision. We haven’t had a commander in chief with a military background since George H.W. Bush 31 years ago, despite our country’s engagement in war for most of the past 3 decades. And while that in itself isn’t a requirement for holding the highest office, I think Pete is someone who has a unique perspective among the remaining candidates who have a viable path to the nomination.

Amy has valuable experience as a prosecutor, but I don’t necessarily see it as a skill that transfers as well to the Presidency as it does to the Senate. Her experience remains in the realm of ideas rather than boots-on-the-ground.

But beyond the technical details of what each of Amy and Pete’s jobs have been in the past, when I listen to Amy speak, her vision for this country doesn’t inspire me as much as Pete’s does. America needs healing and to feel like we can all rise up to that challenge together. That’s what I feel when I hear Pete Buttigieg speak. He makes me feel like I want to be the best version of myself. Volunteering for his campaign has made me a more self-reflective person- how do I treat those around me? How can I embody the Rules of the Road (Respect, Belonging, Truth, Teamwork, Boldness, Responsibility, Substance, Discipline, Excellence, and Joy) around others- especially if they are supporting another candidate? Pete has made me a better person. When Amy speaks, I like what she has to say- I agree with her, but it stops there.

I think a lot of Americans are looking for a candidate that can inspire a movement. From what I’ve seen since becoming involved in the grassroots level of this campaign, Pete is that candidate. He was virtually unknown a year ago, trying to teach people how to pronounce his name. Pete is the one whose candidacy has grown from obscurity and a small database of potential supporters to the winner of the Iowa caucus, and a strong second-place finish in New Hampshire. He has worked tirelessly to make himself known to voters and has outlasted governors, popular sitting senators, and has outperformed the former vice president who served in the greatest presidency of my lifetime. Pete is openly gay and married, a fact which in the past would have been seen as ‘career-ending’ has now proven to be another source of strength and inspiration.

That’s not to say that Amy doesn’t have barriers of her own. No, we’ve never had a woman president (though we SHOULD have one right now, if we’re being truthful), and we absolutely and unfairly hold women to different standards than men when it comes to running for office.

I went into the election season set on supporting a woman candidate like Amy Klobuchar or Elizabeth Warren. It’s time that a candidate’s gender become a non-issue in elections, and women are seen as equally electable as men. But I also want to support the candidate that I believe can do the best job. And that desire outweighs any piece of a candidates identity that I gravitate to. I don’t want to vote for a candidate BECAUSE they’re a woman, or BECAUSE they’re LGBTQ, I want to vote for a candidate that shares my vision for this country.

Pete is an extraordinary candidate for an extraordinary moment in this country, and he shares my vision for our future.

If you also feel that Pete Buttigieg shares your vision, and you would like to join in- make calls from home, volunteer your time at a campaign office, travel to another state, knock on doors, talk to your friends, host an event, or even if you just want to learn more about Pete, check out https://peteforamerica.com or text PETE to 25859. All are welcome.

If you share this vision for America, please consider making a donation to Pete: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/grassrootsfundraisingteam?refcode=Melani4Pete5904