Pete Buttigieg Is Getting In Position To Run For President In 2028

New campaign finance filings show that Pete Buttigieg's leadership PAC is getting active in what looks like preparations for a presidential run in 2028.

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The chaos of Trump’s second term is front and center in the news, but evidence that the 2028 presidential campaign is just around the corner can be seen in the leadership PAC spending FEC filings.

Politico reported on the activity surrounding former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg:

Buttigieg’s Win the Era PAC, which was largely dormant while he served in former President Joe Biden’s cabinet, also began spending on Facebook ads in July, according to the platform. It was the first time Buttigieg had run ads on his personal page since the former South Bend mayor ended his presidential campaign in 2020.

“While my name won’t be on a ballot in 2026, I am committed to doing the work that must be done to rebuild trust in our system: supporting emerging leaders, showing up in communities we too often ignore, and helping win more elections,” read one recent ad from Buttigieg on the platform.

A person close to Buttigieg said the former secretary will continue traveling to support Democrats in 2026 and host more of his own town halls , as he did in Iowa this spring. Buttigieg, who is not in elected office, employs a small staff through his PAC, which has $2.4 million on hand.

It is Presidential Candidate 101 that the candidates who want to run for president are going to help elect Democrats in the midterm election. The idea is to build relationships that will hopefully translate into future endorsements and demonstrate leadership to the rest of the party.

There are expected to be thirty or more Democrats who will run for the 2028 nomination. The prevailing wisdom is that the slew of Democratic governors considering a run have the inside track with Democratic voters because they are fresh faces on the national stage, outside Washington, DC, and that would seem to play into the anti-incumbent sentiments of most of the nation’s voters.

Buttigieg does have two potential challenges to overcome. His failed 2020 presidential campaign and the fact that he served in the Biden administration might make him not enough of a fresh face if Democratic primary voters are seeking change.

One of the biggest hurdles facing Buttigieg that I see is that the Democratic primary electorate is more liberal than the general electorate, and Buttigieg, whose moderate tones might play well in a general election, could struggle to win the Democratic nomination.

For those who need something to look forward to, Democratic candidates are expected to begin announcing their campaigns after the 2026 midterm election.

Trump is a little more than a year away from entering lame duck status, and soon the country will be focused on turning the page and welcoming new leadership.

What do you think about Pete Buttigieg as a presidential candidate? Share your thoughts in the comments below.