New Documentary Zooms In On Pete Buttigieg's Historic Presidential Run

Amazon's "Mayor Pete," due out Nov. 12, promises an intimate look at Buttigieg's marriage to husband Chasten and the grueling 2020 campaign.
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A new documentary takes a behind-the-scenes look at Pete Buttigieg’s bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination and highlights the numerous ways his campaign made history, even though it wasn’t successful.

On Monday, Amazon Studios unveiled the trailer for “Mayor Pete,” directed by Jesse Moss. Those familiar with the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor’s public resolve may be surprised by the intimacy of the footage. Heartwarming moments show Buttigieg at home with his husband, Chasten, along with grueling debate prep sessions with Lis Smith, his campaign’s senior communications adviser.

Other highlights of the film, due out next month, include on-the-trail conversations with Joe Biden, who went on to become the Democratic Party’s nominee and win the presidency.

Catch the “Mayor Pete” trailer below.

Moss, whose directing credits include “Boys State” and “Rated ‘R’: Republicans in Hollywood,” said he found Buttigieg “somewhat reserved,” even in private, and sees the film as a personal story as much as a political one.

“We think of politics and we think of, say, [former President Donald Trump], of being essentially reality show entertainer, and that is not Pete,” Moss, who has said he did not endorse Buttigieg in the 2020 presidential election, told the South Bend Tribune. “I think what the film allows us to do is access Pete through his relationship with Chasten, which is so kind of central to who he is and was at the core of his campaign: these two people holding on to each other as a married couple, both an old-fashioned couple but also a gay couple and very new in modern politics.”

Of course, Buttigieg continues to make history as a politician. In February, he became the first openly gay person confirmed to a Cabinet seat after Biden nominated him to lead the Transportation Department.

When asked if he believes the revelations found in “Mayor Pete” will impact Buttigieg’s political future, Moss said, “I think we’ll have to wait and see.”

“Anything is possible,” he added, “and what we know is presidential politics is pretty unpredictable.”

“Mayor Pete” will be available for streaming on Amazon Prime Nov. 12.

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