Buttigieg Touts Veteran Ties as He Seeks Edge in Nevada

(Bloomberg) -- Pete Buttigieg is leaning harder into his military service as he tries to connect with Nevada’s sizable veteran population and compete with Bernie Sanders, who looks poised for another win in Saturday’s Democratic presidential caucuses.

Buttigieg has made his time as a Navy intelligence officer a core part of his pitch to voters since he launched his campaign last year. And in Nevada, his is matching the pitch with resources.

The campaign has a full-time veteran’s engagement director who moved to the state in January. Buttigieg opened his last Nevada field office in Sunrise Manor in part because of its close proximity to Nellis Air Force base. And on Monday, Buttigieg held a town hall for veterans in Reno.

At the town hall, Buttigieg spoke of the promise the country makes veterans who choose to serve and called for better services when they return.

“We’ve got to do a better job of keeping that promise on behalf of the American people toward those who wore the uniform and wrote that blank check to the United States of America,” Buttigieg said.

When asked about why he enlisted, Buttigieg recalled knocking doors for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in Iowa in 2008 and realizing the rural and low-income areas he was visiting were disproportionately represented in the military.

“I could count on one hand the number of people I knew at Harvard who were getting ready to serve,” Buttigieg said, referencing his alma mater. “I thought I might be part of the problem here.”

His work to connect with veterans has shown some success. This weekend, veterans from out of state are traveling to Nevada to help knock on doors.

Veterans make up 10% of the adult population in Nevada, but support from a sizable group of them is unlikely to be enough to propel Buttigieg to victory. That said, he is the only military veteran actively competing there and a boost from veteran support could help him beat out the other moderates in the field. (Representative Tulsi Gabbard is also a veteran, but she is not actively campaigning in Nevada.) The RealClearPolitics polling average shows Sanders leading with 21.5% followed by Joe Biden at 18.5%; Elizabeth Warren at 12%; Tom Steyer at 9.5%; Buttigieg at 9% and Amy Klouchar 7%.

“I definitely think it’s a unifier for folks and definitely brings those people together and another reason why our veterans are such wonderful volunteers for us,” Catherine O’Connor, the campaign’s veterans engagement director, said about Buttigieg’s military experience.

She added: “What we’ve found is that even folks that don’t necessarily agree with Pete right off the bat, they respect Pete’s service and will listen to us.”

Victoria Hogan, a 64-year-old Army veteran from Reno, said she was initially drawn to Buttigieg because of his military experience. Now, Hogan will be a precinct captain for the campaign at the caucuses on Saturday.

“He is the most qualified person to be the commander in chief, and I think after serving in the military that you come to appreciate that role,” she said. “You’re a president and a commander in chief and having experience in the military is the best kind of experience you can have for that role.”

Kelly Larson, an Army National Guard veteran, walked into Buttigieg’s town hall undecided about who she would support. She previously supported Sanders and was interested in Warren after attending an event she held on Sunday. Buttigieg’s event sealed the deal, though.

She gushed about hopeful she felt as she walked out the door. “It’s been so long. We’ve got to spread the word about this guy.”

More than just his military experience, Larson said she agreed with Buttigieg’s healthcare plan and his approach to campaigning. But, she said Buttigieg’s service and his ability to talk about the veteran experience will likely be helpful in bringing other veterans on board.

“The veteran part of it makes a big difference because what I notice is presidents that haven’t served don’t have a clue about the military and it’s not OK,” she said.

(Disclaimer: Michael Bloomberg is also seeking the Democratic nomination for president. Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.)

To contact the reporter on this story: Tyler Pager in Reno, Nevada at tpager1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Magan Crane

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