DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa electorate may be overwhelmingly white, but the tough questioning Pete Buttigieg received at a minority voter forum is indicative of the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor’s struggles with expanding his narrow voter base.

Buttigieg’s issues began during Monday afternoon’s question-and-answer session, when two moderators from Vice News grilled him for 15 minutes over his brief governing record. Of specific interest was his role in overseeing South Bend’s police force, which has been the target of activists over perceived racial bias.

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