A collection of prominent K Street insiders has jumped behind the Pete Buttigieg campaign, helping the South Bend, Indiana, mayor’s bid in the Democratic 2020 presidential contest with fundraising and strategy.

It’s striking that longtime federal lobbyists, policy strategists and message makers are gravitating to the D.C. outsider’s campaign given the long list of sitting lawmakers who are also running. K Street denizens, though they often bring with them the baggage of working on behalf of corporate interests, offer campaigns a network of donors and fundraising expertise as well as policy chops and sway on Capitol Hill.

Many of Buttigieg’s K Street boosters are openly gay like the candidate himself. The Indiana mayor, in contrast to some of his competitors such as Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, also takes a tamer tone when it comes to anti-lobbyist rhetoric and allows donations from registered lobbyists.

At least seven of the sitting lawmakers who are running for the Democratic nomination have banned contributions from federally registered lobbyists; those include Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

K Street insiders who support Buttigieg say the 37-year-old candidate has inspired them to get off the sidelines of the primary.