Pete Buttigieg is dropping strong hints that he wants another shot at the White House.
The former Transportation Secretary and one-time South Bend mayor said he is leaning toward entering the 2028 Democratic presidential race, making it the clearest signal yet about his political future.
“I think I’m more inclined than not, but there’s so much we don’t know,” Buttigieg said during an appearance on “The Diary of a CEO” podcast. He also acknowledged that he and his husband’s decision to adopt children has complicated the calculus. “It’s changed all of my equations. It’s just something that you really sit with and take seriously, which you should.”
As originally reported, no major figures have formally declared a 2028 candidacy as of early August 2026. Buttigieg, who ran for the Democratic nomination in 2020 before ultimately backing Joe Biden, has spent recent months supporting Democratic candidates in the 2026 midterms while keeping a high public profile.
The polling picture has been encouraging for him, at least on the surface. An Emerson College survey from last month placed Buttigieg first among likely Democratic primary voters with 19 percent support. California Governor Gavin Newsom came in second at 17 percent, with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Jon Ossoff each at 13 percent. Former Vice President Kamala Harris trailed at 8 percent in that same poll, though other surveys have shown stronger numbers for her.
A May 2026 Emerson poll told a similar story, with Buttigieg leading at 18 percent. Not every survey has been as kind. A Manhattan Institute poll conducted July 1-6 put him in third place at 13 percent, behind Harris at 19 percent and Newsom at 15 percent.
The more troubling numbers for Buttigieg involve Black voters, a critical bloc in any Democratic primary. A fall 2025 Yale Youth Poll showed him at just 4 percent among Black respondents, compared to Harris at 47 percent. Multiple Emerson College polls, including one from June 2025, recorded 0 percent support for Buttigieg among Black respondents.
Those numbers represent a real and significant challenge. Winning the Democratic nomination without meaningful support from Black voters is a steep hill to climb, and Buttigieg will need to find a way to broaden his coalition considerably if he moves forward with a formal campaign.
For now, he remains undeclared but clearly thinking hard about it.