Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg Pete ButtigiegBogeymen of the far left deserve a place in any Biden administration Overnight Defense: Woodward book causes new firestorm | Book says Trump lashed out at generals, told Woodward about secret weapons system | US withdrawing thousands of troops from Iraq A socially and environmentally just way to fight climate change MORE (D) vowed to be the "most progressive" Democratic nominee in a generation after he was attacked over his policies and record by progressives at Friday's debate.

In an interview with ABC News after the debate ended, Buttigieg said that despite criticism from rivals such as Sens. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenWarren, Schumer introduce plan for next president to cancel ,000 in student debt The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Don't expect a government check anytime soon No new taxes for the ultra rich — fix bad tax policy instead MORE (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersMcConnell accuses Democrats of sowing division by 'downplaying progress' on election security The Hill's Campaign Report: Arizona shifts towards Biden | Biden prepares for drive-in town hall | New Biden ad targets Latino voters Why Democrats must confront extreme left wing incitement to violence MORE (I-Vt.), he would represent a significant shift to the left for the Democratic Party.

"Here's my message to progressives in the party: I would be the most progressive presidential nominee we've put forward in a generation. It's just that I've also found a way to put forward these issues that, we can bring more and more people on board with," he said.

ADVERTISEMENT

"We shouldn't measure the boldness of an idea by how many people it turns off, or how much controversy it generates," Buttigieg added. "We should measure by how many people we can bring in to do something big that makes a difference in our actual lives."

Buttigieg tells @TomLlamasABC: "I would be the most progressive presidential nominee we've put forward in a generation." https://t.co/G4VVnf63da #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/mIWK1wdU3I — ABC News (@ABC) February 8, 2020

The remarks come as Buttigieg has faced criticism from progressives for refusing to endorse a "Medicare for All" plan that would eliminate private insurance. He also faced criticism on Friday over his record on racial issues as mayor of South Bend.