Bronin backs Buttigieg
Hartford mayor has known Democratic presidential candidate for 15 years
Announcing his endorsement of Democrat Pete Buttigieg, above, for president, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said Wednesday he has known the South Bend, Indiana, mayor for 15 years and believes “he’s the right leader for this moment.”
HARTFORD – Announcing his endorsement of Democrat Pete Buttigieg for president, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said Wednesday he has known the South Bend, Ind., mayor for 15 years and believes “he’s the right leader for this moment.”
Bronin’s endorsement was made in a joint op-ed in USA Today representing 50 U.S. mayors who are part of a new “Mayors for Pete” effort by Buttigieg’s campaign.
The piece read, “We are more than 50 mayors across the country — from Santa Monica, California, to Topeka, Kansas, to Hartford,
Connecticut — who know that an executive with vision and proven ability to get results is the key to a bright future for our nation.”
Those belonging to the Mayors for Pete initiative will engage in local efforts in support of Buttigieg’s presidential bid.
“We endorse him from heartland towns, coastal cities, suburban communities and every other corner of our great country,” the op-ed said. “What’s more, in the spirit of the community of mayors, we are already offering Pete our best ideas and helping engage grassroots supporters all across the country.”
In the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll, Buttigieg has edged ahead of U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California, with support from 7 percent of Democratic primary voters. He trails former Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
“It’s not just that he’s smart, or that his combination of seriousness, civility, and strength of character is a powerful antidote to Donald Trump — it’s that he thinks deeply about the challenges we face, and he believes in America’s ability and responsibility to meet those challenges for the sake of future generations,” Bronin said in a news release. “We have a lot of strong candidates in the Democratic field, but I’m proud to support Pete for President because he understands that we really are fighting to win an era, not just an election.”
Bronin, a fellow Democrat, is the only Connecticut leader in the group of more than 50 mayors who announced their support of Buttigieg Wednesday.
Among them are the mayors of Houston and Austin, Texas, Parkland, Fla., Minneapolis, Cincinnati, 10 cities in Indiana, seven in California and five in Pennsylvania, as well as college towns like College Park, Md., and Chapel Hill, N.C.
One other NewEngland mayor was part of the group, Lebanon, N.H. leader Suzanne Prentis.
Earlier this week, New Haven Mayor Toni Harp became the first leader of a major Connecticut city to signal her support for a presidential candidate, Kamala Harris. The endorsement came during an afternoon reception hosted by Dita Bhargava of Greenwich, who said the fundraiser was expected to bring in more than $110,000 for Harris.
Endorsements also came from state Reps. Quentin Phipps of Middletown, Anne Hughes of Easton and Bobby Gibson of Bloomfield. Harris has already been endorsed by U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes.
The mayors of Bridgeport, Stamford and Waterbury have not publicly thrown their support to any candidate.
Rebecca Lurye can be reached at rlurye@courant.com.