Washington, D.C., should be influenced by less-partisan local government, rather than the other way around, Pete Buttigieg told those attending his talk in Richmond last week.
Buttigieg, a former two-term South Bend mayor who served as U.S. Secretary of Transportation between 2021-2025, drew an estimated crowd of 1,600 on Feb. 18 for the Earlham College Presidential Lecture Series in its Athletics and Wellness Center.
The audience included a mix of current and former Wayne County elected officials from both parties, ticket holders from around the nation and world, Earlham faculty and students, and area residents.
Buttigieg gave about 20 minutes of remarks, followed by a Q&A moderated by Earlham President Paul Sniegowski, a South Bend native who said he’s long admired Buttigieg’s work to revitalize that community.
Buttigieg’s comments explored how attendees can best help the country prepare for the future. Though critical of President Trump’s policies and governance, he said he believes Americans shouldn’t be focused on restoring government operations to the way they were before the second Trump administration, but making them better than before. He acknowledged that voter dissatisfaction led to growing support for upending longtime government institutions and norms.
And, he said, it shouldn’t be just liberals who are concerned about current attacks on institutions such as law firms and colleges, late-night TV shows, and Americans who are exercising their First and Second Amendment rights. Buttigieg said those decisions should “outrage every American, left, right or center alike.”
Buttigieg began gaining national attention during his 2020 presidential campaign. One day after his appearance at Earlham, Buttigieg was again in the spotlight for leading the University of New Hampshire Survey Center’s poll as the most popular candidate for the 2028 Democratic presidential primary.
However, he did not confirm any presidential aspirations during his talk, instead urging those present to stay hopeful, engage with their community and dream for the future.
Buttigieg also noted the many questions he now receives as a parent of 4 1/2-year-old twins and how those questions and the Legos they leave on the floor keep him humble. His son and daughter remind him there’s more to life than politics, he said, but they also remind him what’s at stake for the nation’s future.
Earlham officials describe Buttigieg as a leading voice on politics and public life, and in turn, Buttigieg said he enjoyed meeting with some staff and students before his public appearance. He said they asked him thoughtful and direct questions, and he acknowledged several times that national political parties have significant work ahead to reach younger voters.
Buttigieg noted that nostalgia for the past can sometimes limit our ability to plan for the future. He said he was able to focus his time as South Bend mayor on finding new ways to energize the community, instead of trying and failing to re-create a past era.
What he misses about being in local leadership compared to the federal government is that it’s less rigidly partisan, where officials think and talk more about solving real problems. He said it’s harder to spread outright falsehoods when it’s easy to verify a “local” pothole in the road is real.
Buttigieg thinks officials of both parties need to get back to addressing quality of life needs affecting many Americans, such as clean drinking water, affordability, quality education and school safety, health care, even if they have different approaches. He calls them “the politics of the every day.”
However, Buttigieg hasn’t forgotten the need to stay focused on issues such as equity and justice. The ability to serve his family macaroni and cheese is possible because of a 5-4 Supreme Court ruling guaranteeing same-sex couples the right to marry and adopt kids. For his household, he said, “Equality IS a kitchen-table issue.”
Buttigieg urged people to get outside their bubbles, listen and speak with people directly rather than online, and show more regard for the concerns of their neighbors.
“Getting offline is critically important to our political survival,” Buttigieg said.
While noting it’s a difficult time to be an American, he said those attending should welcome the challenge, as ancestors did during the Revolutionary War, Civil War, the Vietnam and civil rights struggles of the 1960s and other eras with uncertain futures. He urged them not to give into paralysis, but to focus on propulsion.
He repeated a phrase he’d heard that has resonated with him: Hope is the consequence of action, not the cause of action.
Applause throughout and standing ovations before and after Buttigieg took the stage reflected the interest of attendees in seeing a national figure in their backyard.
Retired Richmond dentist Gary Brown said Buttigieg was well informed and offered a positive outlook for situations that on the surface don’t look very hopeful. Brown liked Buttigieg’s emphasis on continuing to work, listen and make changes.
Retired Richmond High School teacher Mary-Anne Thompson said she appreciated Buttigieg answering Earlham’s questions and how well-read he is on so many subjects.
Mark Strietelmeier of Indianapolis described Buttigieg as remarkably intelligent and giving a lot of thought to the issues of our day. He was drawn to attend the event through a Quaker connection to Earlham.
“He’s the man we need,” Strietelmeier said.
Amy Lynch, a Richmond native, now living in Indianapolis, said her support of Buttigieg has continued since his presidential run because he’s understandable and less political than other candidates. Lynch, who was wearing a three-line T-shirt saying “Boot Edge Edge” about the pronunciation of the speaker’s name, said he offers practical solutions.
Hagerstown native Laura Davenport of Zionsville agreed, describing him as no-nonsense, down to earth and just a normal guy.
“I felt we could all use some hope and optimism with everything going on,” said Katie Robbins of Fishers, whose daughter plans to attend Earlham in the fall.
Updated on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2026 at 2:05 p.m. to add photos supplied by Earlham College.
A version of this article appeared in the February 25 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.