Buttigieg draws skepticism over Midwestern bona fides

Published August 14, 2019 8:20pm ET



DES MOINES — Pete Buttigieg’s bid for the 2020 Democratic nomination emphasizes both his establishment credentials — Harvard grad, Rhodes Scholar, McKinsey consultant, military vet — and his current role as mayor of a mid-sized Midwestern city, South Bend, Indiana.

But it’s his emphasis on that second part of his biography that’s giving pause to some Midwesterners. This week at the Iowa State Fair, a right of passage in Iowa presidential politics, some expressed reservations about Buttigieg, who last quarter led the Democratic pack in fundraising by pulling in $24.8 million.

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