Pete Buttigieg makes history by winning the Iowa caucus with the slimmest of margins

Feb 07 2020
Written by Patrick Kelleher

Pete Buttigieg. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Gay presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg has made history by winning the Iowa caucus with a narrow victory over Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

Buttigieg came out with 26.2 percent of the vote count, beating Democratic rivals including Elizabeth Sanders and Joe Biden.

Sanders placed just behind Buttigieg with 26.1 percent of the votes, with Buttigieg winning over just two more delegates.

Pete Buttigieg named winner of the Iowa caucus after technical difficulties delayed results.

Buttigieg’s victory came a difficult voting process in which precinct captains struggled with a new app that would send caucus-goer votes to the state party. Those difficulties resulted in significant delays to the result of the Iowa caucus.

His victory will come as a surprise to many after the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana came out of nowhere to top the poll. He is facing off against significantly more experienced and well-known figures within the Democratic party, but despite this, he is proving popular among voters.

The 38-year-old’s Iowa victory has divided the LGBT+ community. Many have argued that his win is a historic moment for queer representation, while others have criticised his policies.

I keep seeing the same comments being circulated. “Pete Buttigieg isn’t gay enough.” “Pete Buttigieg’s candidacy doesn’t mean anything for the LGBTQ community.” You’re wrong, and you’re so incredibly self serving that you are dismissing countless members of the LGBTQ Community.

— inspirepragmatism ? (@inspireprag) February 5, 2020

I find Pete Buttigieg to be a problematic candidate. However, I do wish we could talk more about the fact that it is both historic and cool that a gay man won the Iowa Caucus. Especially given that a few days ago folks were arguing we had to throw LGBTQ+ folks under the bus.— Mangy Jay (@magi_jay) February 7, 2020

Hey guys —

An openly gay man may be on the cusp of winning the Iowa caucuses.

If that doesn't move you, get some gay friends.

This is historic.— Zac Petkanas (@Zac_Petkanas) February 4, 2020

As a Gay Man, seeing a Gay Man win Iowa, in a Presidential election is monumental, I know many will miss the significance of this moment but millions of LGBTQ people are seeing this as historic in many ways.

Little LGBT adolescents seeing history

Congratulations Pete Buttigieg!— ? Black Professor ? (@Wonderbitch82) February 5, 2020

I think God made me gay so I could talk my parents out of pete buttigieg with authority.

— mark “understand this” paaa (@markpaaa) February 5, 2020

pete buttigieg is a gay icon for straight boomers who voted for reagan in the 80s and are trying to atone for the AIDS crisis without actually doing anything of value— john lequeeré (@see_em_play_) February 4, 2020

Pete Buttigieg is significant because he shows that all you need to succeed as a gay man in politics is to abandon all morals and convictions and sell out to every billionaire in America— Eva ''Buff Girlfriend'' (@ayyy_vuh) February 5, 2020

Buttigieg has faced significant criticism over his track record on race, among other issues. Last month, during a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, Black Lives Matter activists heckled him over his track-record as South Bend mayor.

In video footage, one person could be heard quizzing the Democrat on his controversial housing record, accusing him of “demolishing hundreds” of homes in the local black community.