Maureen Groppe

IndyStar Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON – South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg has the backing of three former chairs of the Democratic National Committee, the most of any candidate seeking to lead the party.

Joe Andrew, the last Hoosier to head the DNC in 1999-2000, endorsed Buttigieg on Wednesday, as did David Wilhelm, who chaired the DNC in 1993-94.

Buttigieg previously was endorsed by Steve Grossman, DNC chair in 1997-98.

A late entrant in the contest which will be decided Feb. 25, Buttigieg is seen as someone not identified with either the establishment or insurgent factions of the party.

Former Labor Secretary Tom Perez has been endorsed by former Vice President Joe Biden. Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison has the backing of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

“Let’s try to avoid waging a battle through proxies that reopens wounds from past campaigns,” Wilhelm said in his endorsement. “We need someone who can unify us, who can focus on the grassroots, whose experience is outside Washington and who represents the next generation of party leadership that will lead us to victories at the national and local level.”

Buttigieg, 35, is in his second term as mayor. He ran unsuccessfully for state treasurer in 2010.

Although he hasn’t notched an electoral victory outside of a Democratic city, Buttigieg is viewed as a rising star in the Democratic Party, and his admirers including former President Barack Obama, who has not endorsed a DNC candidate. Bill Daley, who was Obama’s chief of staff in 2011, recently endorsed Buttigieg.

If the 447 DNC members choosing their next leader pick Buttigieg, he would be the youngest, and first openly-gay DNC chair. He’s also a Rhodes Scholar and an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve who worked for the consulting firm McKinsey before becoming mayor.

Andrew said Buttigieg is best positioned “to bring our party together and be a successful, inclusive CEO.”

“I urge you to vote for Pete who will not only be a great messenger and fundraiser for the party,” Andrew told fellow Democrats, “but who will be a strong leader of a complex organization.”

Among other past DNC chairs, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe backs Perez ,while South Carolinian Don Fowler has endorsed Jaime Harrison, the chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party.

Among Indiana Democratic officials, Buttigieg has the support of state Democratic Party Chair John Zody, Sen. Joe Donnelly, state Rep. Joe Taylor and Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson.

Ellison has been endorsed by Rep. Andre Carson, D-Indianapolis, and Cordelia Lewis-Burks, vice chair of the state party.

Contact Maureen Groppe at mgroppe@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @mgroppe.

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