Howard Dean said Monday that he “kinda” is rooting for Pete Buttigieg in the race to become the next chair of the Democratic National Committee.

Mr. Dean, who led the DNC from 2005 to 2009, has applauded Mr. Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., several times and took it a step further on Hardball with Chris Matthews.

Asked whether he supported the 35-year-old, Mr. Dean said, “I kinda am a little bit.”

Mr. Buttigieg has already received the support of three other former chairs: Joe Andrew, who led the DNC in 1999 to 2000, David Wilhelm, who chaired the DNC in 1993 to 1994 and Steve Grossman, who held the top post from 1997 to 1998.

He has been viewed as the wild card in the race in which Rep. Keith Ellison and former Labor Secretary Tom Perez are the front runners.

Mr. Buttigieg is hoping that the vote at the Feb. 25 DNC meeting ends in a stalemate between Mr. Ellison, who has been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Mr. Perez, who has been endorsed by former Vice President Joe Biden — thereby increasing the chances the 447 members give him another look and come to see him as the most viable alternative.

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