CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (KWWL) -- Just a day after the first Democratic debate of 2020, Pete Buttigieg made several stops in Iowa.

Holding a town hall at the University of Northern Iowa, Buttigieg was welcomed by one of his recent endorsements, Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart.

The story goes that the two met prior Buttigeg's campaign announcement, instead simply meeting as two mayors with local issues with local solutions. It's those same solutions Buttigieg proposed could be used for national issues.

"In addition to the Paris Climate Accord, I'm proposing a Pittsburgh Summit, where we invite local governments, many of which are finding solutions cause they got sick of waiting for their national government to catch up," said Buttigieg.

He faced questions on other things including arts education, veteran issues, as well as discrimination against minorities.

"Unfortunately, we've seen a pattern where minority owned businesses are less likely to get credit even when they are creditworthy," said Buttigieg.

The former South Bend mayor has been criticized for his standing with black voters. Buttigieg touted his "Douglass Plan" which aims to invest in black business owners and impose harsher consequences for discrimination practices.

"Our conversations, for the first year and a half, a majority of them have always been focused on African-American communities, minority communities, and what type of impact we can make. And that's why you take a look at the nuts and bolts of his plan, to me is one of the most progressive, out of the box plans," said Hart in reference to the "Douglass Plan."

In South Carolina, the first state with a significant population of African American voters, a January Fox News poll shows Buttigeg polling at only 2%. Former Vice President Joe Biden polled at 43% with black voters in the state.

With the Iowa caucuses less than a month away, a number of supports hold a vital role. Precinct captains for Buttigieg will likely be called on to help sway other Democrats to support their candidate in the caucus realignment period.

"I think Pete can unite America the best. I think that, right now, is the only way we're going to get anything done. I think unity is very important going into the 2020 election," said UNI student Kathryn Rozanek, a precinct captain for Buttigieg. She and others have been preparing for caucus night by learning Buttigieg's policies inside and out.