Buttigieg on woman who withdrew support because he is gay: ‘I’m running to be her president too’

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg responded Thursday to a video of a caucusgoer who asked for her support card back after finding out the former mayor of South Bend, Ind., is gay. 

“What I want her to know is that I’m running to be her president too,” Buttigieg said on “The View.” 

“Of course, I wish she was able to see that my love is the same as her love for those that she cares about. That my marriage means as much to me as hers if she’s married,” Buttigieg added. 

“But if she can’t see that, and even if because she can’t see that she won’t vote for me, I am still, if I’m elected president, going to get up in the morning and try to make the best decisions for her and the people she loves, as I will work to serve every American whether they supported me or not.” 

.@PeteButtigieg reacts to video of Iowa caucus-goer who tried to pull her vote for him after learning he’s gay, saying “I’m running to be her president, too.”
“I wish she was able to see that my love is the same as her love for those that she cares about.” https://t.co/f8u2wbJuik pic.twitter.com/zezmeYk8c5

— The View (@TheView) February 6, 2020

Buttigieg’s remarks came after a video surfaced of a caucusgoer at a site in Cresco, Iowa, asking for her support card back after finding out Buttigieg, who has been campaigning across the country with his husband, Chasten, is gay. 

A Buttigieg precinct captain, Nikki Heever, asks the woman why “should it matter.” 

In the video, the woman cites the Bible as her reasoning for not supporting Buttigieg. 

Buttigieg has been open about his Christian faith and, echoing previous remarks, told the hosts of “The View” that he wants Americans to understand “you don’t have to vote a certain way because of your faith.” 

“And if your faith guides you, I think at a time like this, what about I was hungry and you fed me, what about I was a stranger and you welcomed me, what about seeking leaders who walk in the way of humanity and decency? Does your faith have anything to say about that?” he added. 

Buttigieg’s Thursday interview followed his success in Monday night’s Iowa caucuses. After some delays in reporting, Buttigieg is in a virtual tie with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for winning the first-in-the-nation caucuses. 

With 97 percent of precincts reporting as of Thursday morning, Buttigieg has 26.2 percent of state delegate equivalents and Sanders has 26.1 percent.