I endorse Pete Buttigieg for Governor of Indiana

Pete Buttigieg, his supporters, and his team are some of the most brilliant people I have ever met. It was striking to meet so many bright and talented young adults from every corner of our state after he announced his groundbreaking candidacy. I hope Indiana can continue to shake our national reputation as a cultural backwater and flyover wasteland through all of his and their work. His historic win in Iowa’s (hopefully last-ever) caucus will be one for the history books.

But after the results in South Carolina, it is clear that in order to keep Pete’s future as a public servant bright, his best option is to return home to Indiana and run for Governor in 2020.

I remember meeting Pete at his book signing at IUPUI, shortly after my own election, and being inspired by his eloquence and thoughtfulness. The current political era feels like it is solely dominated by bombast and grandstanding, so Pete’s levelheadedness and willingness to listen are refreshingly common sense. His measured approach to policymaking is an auspicious start to working with our House and Senate. His experience as the two-term mayor of South Bend is a natural segue to the Governor’s mansion. Since hyper-partisan redistricting after the 2020 census has the potential to dilute thousands more Hoosier votes and lock our state in a lopsided, unrepresentative balance of power for the next decade, this year is of particular importance.

The retirements this year of Speaker of the House Bosma (a 34-year incumbent) and former Speaker Bauer (a 50-year incumbent) signal the beginning of a new era for all Hoosiers. Pete’s staggering, public opinion-defying success has laid the groundwork for us all.

You can win this, and we need you.

Chris Chyung (D-Dyer) was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 2018 at age 25. He defeated a 3-term incumbent in a Trump +11 district by 82 votes out of nearly 25,000 cast.