On 'The View': 'Mayor Pete' Buttigieg says he wants to reach the 'whole country' in a long-shot bid

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In the two months since he announced a presidential exploratory committee, Mayor Pete Buttigieg has risen to relative prominence in a crowded 2020 field by appealing to the "whole country," beyond the liberal silos that Democrats tend to focus on in presidential races.

The South Bend, Indiana, mayor is gaining traction in the early stages of a primary season with 15 contenders competing for the Democratic nomination by showcasing a blend of Midwestern values and robust policy acumen to back his long-shot bid. While Buttigieg might still be a lesser-known candidate, this week he earned a spot on the stage at the first Democratic debate after surpassing the 65,000 donor threshold to qualify.

Buttigieg's early push comes as the expected entrance of former Vice President Joe Biden looms over the race. CNN reported on Monday that Biden discussed with advisers the possibility of choosing a running mate early in the primary ... The close advisers are considering pre-packaging a ticket with Stacey Abrams as his vice president, according to Axios.

During his Friday interview, Buttigieg dismissed the theory behind that speculation when asked about picking a vice president right out of the gate, but signaled he supported a gender-balanced ticket. "First of all, you got to get there. There's research on companies that's shown that when a company has more gender balance in it's leadership, it's more profitable. If that's true for companies, I bet you that's true for countries."

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/view-mayor-pete-buttigieg-reach-country-long-shot/story?id=61865482