Norman Mayor Endorses Buttigieg For President

Tuesday, September 24th 2019, 8:45 am

By: Grant Hermes

Despite an Oklahoma native in the Democratic presidential primary, Norman Mayor Breea Clark joined 49 other mayors from around the country to endorse the South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

In the letter, published in USA Today, the mayors said Buttigieg has become a role model and mentor for them and praised his community approach to some of the biggest issues in the campaign including racial tension and healthcare.

“Mayor Pete puts practical solutions over partisan ideology,” The mayors wrote. “For mayors, politics isn’t a blood sport. While inaction and gridlock are the norm in Washington, mayors don’t have the option to kick the can down the road.”

Clark's inclusion on the list is notable because she isn't backing Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) who is from Norman and still has family in Oklahoma. Warren frequently talks about her Oklahoma roots at campaign rallies.

Norman has also been visited by candidates Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Fmr. Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-TX), neither of them is getting an endorsement from the college town mayor either.

Clark was also at last Democratic debate in Houston where she posted pictures on her Twitter account posing with Warren, Yang and Buttigieg, where it would seem the South Bend Mayor made an impression.

Currently Buttigieg is only garnering 5 percent of the primary vote compared to Yang’s 3 percent and Warren’s 20 percent, according to a newly released poll from Morning Consult. Warren is second to former Vice President Joe Biden who is at 32 percent of the vote.

So far, Mayor Buttigieg has not announced plans to visit Norman. The letter of support came just a few days before another Democratic candidate, Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT), visited Norman Sunday.

Oklahoma Democrats vote on Super Tuesday, March 3, 2020.