Pete Buttigieg, untethered, acts as Trump counterweight for angry Democrats

Pete Buttigieg is everywhere. 

Buttigieg, the former Transportation secretary in the Biden administration, has emerged as one of the Democratic Party’s most visible messengers ahead of the midterms, traveling to battleground districts, venturing into red states and making a steady stream of television appearances — including on Fox News.

The visibility in recent months appears to be paying off. An Emerson College poll out last week showed Buttigieg leading a hypothetical Democratic presidential field, ahead of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris, who had previously topped similar surveys. 

At a time when Democrats are searching for a counterweight to Trump, some strategists say he’s been able to fill that role. 

“Pete does one thing maybe better than anyone right now: he can effectively indict the Trump presidency while still giving Democrats an aspirational vision for the future,” said Democratic strategist Steve Schale. 

Unlike many potential 2028 contenders including Govs. Gavin Newsom of California, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, and Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Buttigieg isn’t tethered to the demands of elected office or reelection. 

And in recent weeks, he has traveled to more than a dozen states including Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. And on Friday, The Hill confirmed that Buttigieg would be headlining the Liberty and Justice Celebration dinner (formerly known as the Jefferson-Jackson dinner) in Iowa. 

The travel and midterm endorsements have presented a major opportunity: He has been able to........

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