Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg appears to be taking another step toward a second run for the White House, signaling that he is leaning toward seeking the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028. While he stopped short of making an official announcement, his recent comments offer the clearest indication yet that he intends to once again compete for his party’s highest office.
During an appearance on “The Diary of a CEO” podcast, Buttigieg acknowledged that a presidential campaign is something he is seriously considering.
“I think I’m more inclined than not, but there’s so much we don’t know,” Buttigieg said.
He explained that becoming a father has changed the way he approaches such a major decision. Buttigieg and his husband adopted children after his 2020 presidential campaign, and he said that responsibility now weighs heavily in any plans for the future.
“It has changed all of my equations. It’s just something that you really sit with and take seriously, which you should,” he said.
Although no major Democrat has officially entered the 2028 race as of early August 2026, Buttigieg has remained highly visible since leaving the Biden administration. Rather than disappearing from the political stage, he has spent much of this year campaigning for Democratic candidates ahead of the 2026 midterm elections while continuing to make frequent media appearances and discuss national issues.
Those efforts appear to be paying off, at least in early polling.
An Emerson College survey conducted last month found Buttigieg leading the potential Democratic primary field with 19 percent support. California Governor Gavin Newsom followed closely behind at 17 percent, while Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia each received 13 percent. Former Vice President Kamala Harris trailed with eight percent in that particular survey, although other polls have shown her performing considerably better.
Another Emerson poll conducted in May also placed Buttigieg at the top with 18 percent support, suggesting he has maintained steady backing among Democratic primary voters. Not every survey tells the same story, however. A Manhattan Institute poll conducted in early July showed Harris leading with 19 percent, followed by Newsom at 15 percent, while Buttigieg finished third with 13 percent.
Early polling nearly two years before the first primary votes are cast should always be viewed cautiously. History has shown that national surveys at this stage often reflect name recognition more than the strength of an eventual campaign. Candidates rise and fall dramatically once debates begin, fundraising accelerates, and voters begin paying closer attention.
While Buttigieg has consistently performed well in many national surveys, he also faces challenges that could become significant if he enters the race. One of the biggest questions involves his support among black voters, a key Democratic voting bloc that has historically played a decisive role in selecting the party’s nominee.
A Yale Youth Poll conducted in the fall of 2025 found Buttigieg receiving just four percent support among black respondents, while Harris earned 47 percent. Multiple Emerson College polls have reflected similar difficulties. One survey from June 2025 even recorded zero percent support for Buttigieg among black respondents.
Those numbers highlight a political reality that has followed Buttigieg since his first presidential campaign in 2020. While he has built a reputation as an effective communicator and frequently performs well with college-educated voters, expanding his appeal across the broader Democratic coalition remains one of his biggest political hurdles.
For now, Buttigieg has not officially entered the race, and the Democratic field remains wide open. Still, his latest comments suggest that another presidential campaign is becoming increasingly likely. Whether his early polling advantage can survive the long road to the 2028 Democratic nomination remains one of the biggest unanswered questions in national politics.
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