Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg addressed California delegates at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, praising the Democratic candidates as a joyous and talented team headed for victory.
“Thank you for producing the next President of the United States, Kamala Harris,” he told hundreds of delegates and guests at the breakfast. “I can't wait for her to take the oath of office and lead our country forward. She is an extraordinary leader.”
“I think there's nothing wrong with combining the California dream with the kindness of Minnesota,” the former mayor of South Bend, Ind., said. “So I want to say, on behalf of the Midwest, I'm incredibly excited to be campaigning alongside Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota and Harris' running mate.”
The unspoken message was that, like the other elected officials from outside California who addressed the state's delegates over eggs and pastries, many see Buttigieg as an ambitious young leader with a vision for the Oval Office one day. Buttigieg and Harris both ran unsuccessfully for president four years ago, and Buttigieg, 42, is widely expected to run again one day.
“I really don't know,” Buttigieg said in an interview when asked about his plans. “Sometimes you have something in front of you and you prepare for it. There are a lot of possibilities. I really don't know. But I'm going to do everything I can to help her win.”
The dance takes place every four years at both parties' national political conventions. While the attention is focused on the candidates and prominent speakers, the potential future occupant of the Oval Office also uses the gathering as an opportunity to woo party leaders, donors and activists.
At the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City, then-Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney threw a party for the state's early delegates on the retired aircraft carrier USS Intrepid. Eight years later, Romney was nominated as the party's standard-bearer.
California is considered a secondary player in presidential elections because of its cobalt blue leanings, but it has a lot of delegates that could help decide the candidates in a competitive primary, and because it's home to many wealthy individuals and small donors, it often provides the most campaign cash to candidates from both parties.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer spoke at a breakfast for the California delegation on Tuesday.
(Myung J. Chung/Los Angeles Times)
So in addition to garnering delegate support in early primary voting states like Republican Iowa and Democratic South Carolina, California tends to be a time when presidential candidates do a lot of auditioning and tryouts.
Governor of Illinois JB PritzkerSpeaking Tuesday, National Security Adviser John F. Kennedy welcomed the delegation to Chicago and noted that he was born at Stanford Hospital and grew up in the Northern California communities of Menlo Park and Atherton.
“I love California,” Pritzker said, “but somehow you guys shipped us out of California and all across the country. [I’m] “I'm responsible for the state of Illinois. So I'm very happy to have you here, and especially happy to welcome you to the land of Lincoln, who would have been a Democrat had he lived.”
After naming several of the state's elected officials and party leaders as friends, Pritzker spoke about his family history and his decision to run for governor in the 2018 election.
“My friends thought I was a little crazy,” he said. “And I'll tell you why. I'll be honest with you, the Democratic Party wasn't really keen on a white, Ukrainian-American, Jewish billionaire. I get that, I really get that, but I'm a Democrat through and through.”
Pritzker, a member of the family that owns the Hyatt hotel chain, noted that his family was penniless when they fled the Soviet Union for Ukraine, and touted Democratic accomplishments in Illinois since being elected, including raising the minimum wage and teacher pay, repealing the grocery tax, forgiving medical debt and reducing prescription drug costs.
“These are all things we need to do as a state,” Pritzker said.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer dropped in briefly on Tuesday to liven up a sleepy-eyed crowd after a rally and after-party that lasted late Monday.
“It's been a late night, early morning event, but you all look so great, are you ready?,” she said. “It's going to be another great day in Chicago, and I'm just happy that so far the world is seeing a fun, inclusive, mostly organized convention, and I think it's just going to get better and better every day.”
“I'm very proud to be here in California as governor of Michigan,” she added. “We know a little bit about what it takes to win an election. The world is counting on us to act on Harris' behalf, and we're going to deliver. We're going to build a Congress that's going to work for Harris, right?”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro attended a breakfast with the California delegation on Tuesday.
(Myung J. Chung/Los Angeles Times)
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, speaking at a breakfast for six state delegations on the morning of the second day of the Democratic National Convention, said he and Harris have long known each other from their careers as prosecutors and attorney general.
“The job I do is the exact same job that Kamala Harris has done throughout her career. I've had the good fortune of knowing her for the last 20 years,” Shapiro said. “Every time she's been on the court, and every time I've been on the court, it's always been for the people. Now look at the stark difference with the other side: Donald Trump has not been for the people. He's taken every opportunity to deceive the people.”
When asked about his outlook for the future, Shapiro was evasive.
“Every day I am laser-beam focused on governing Pennsylvania. It's a job I love and I'm grateful to the good people of Pennsylvania for this opportunity,” he told reporters. “And I think I've made it very clear that this is the job I want and that I intend to continue doing. I'm going to be focused on that and, politically, making sure that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz win.”
