Pete Buttigieg is one of the names being whispered about as a potential Democratic vice presidential nominee, but who is he? Buttigieg’s name is likely vaguely familiar to those who don’t follow politics closely. However, many have likely forgotten his political history, given his relatively low profile since the 2020 presidential election. So, in case you need a refresher, we’ve compiled some facts about his past in politics and why he might be in the running for Kamala Harris’ VP pick.

Pete Buttigieg is the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and the current United States Secretary of Transportation. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy Reserve, having served from 2009 to 2017, during which time he was deployed to Afghanistan. He retired as a lieutenant.

Buttgieg's political career is relatively short for a vice presidential candidate. He worked on John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign, Jill Long Thompson's 2002 congressional bid and her 2008 campaign for governor of Indiana.

The first election Buttigieg ran in was in 2010 when he ran for Indiana State Treasurer as a Democrat. He lost the race overwhelmingly to Republican incumbent Richard Mourdock. The election results were 37.5% of the vote for Buttigieg and 62.5% for Mourdock.