Mayor Pete trailer gives intimate look at Pete Buttigieg’s historic 2020 campaign
"It's a leap going from being a Mayor to being a presidential candidate, but I realised I had something to offer that was just different."
Words: Alastair James; pictures: Amazon Studios
Pete Buttigieg, the US’ first openly gay contender for the Presidency and now Transportation Secretary, is the subject of a new documentary examining his 2020 election campaign.
In the trailer for Mayor Pete, Buttigieg is seen with his husband Chasten and meeting people on the campaign trail.
Directed by Jesse Moss, the film from Amazon Studios looks to give an intimate look into what it was like for the then-Mayor of South Bend Indiana to enter the Presidential race.
“It’s a leap going from being a Mayor to being a presidential candidate”
The trailer sees Pete and Chasten interacting with people and the documentary crew, with one person asking Chasten what he should ask Pete, to which Chasten replies: “You spent so much of your life hiding who you truly were, did you feel like you were able to be your true self on the campaign trail.”
Chasten can also be heard saying: “I made Pete promise that we would have fun,” over endearing footage of the two working closely together at home, and Pete affectionately prodding Chasten at a diner.
“It’s a leap going from being a Mayor to being a presidential candidate, but I realised I had something to offer that was just different,” Pete says as we see shots of him at work and meeting voters.
“When I talked about coming out, that was for everybody who’s tried to figure out how to be who they are,” he adds in one interview segment.
The focus then changes to look at Buttigieg’s relationship with Indiana’s Black community following a shooting involving a Black man as a negative point in his campaign.
The rest of the trailer shows Pete and Chasten interacting more with members of the public and colleagues in more joyful circumstances indicating that the overarching story in the documentary will be one of inspiration and hope, especially for young LGBTQ people.
As Chasten says to Pete in one moment, “You are going to tell every single gay kid in this country that it gets better.” The trailer also strongly indicates that the relationship between Pete and Chasten will be a core element.
To counter the more serious tones, the trailer ends with Pete preparing to go on stage at a rally when he is told: “There is a cow in the audience…”
Mr. Buttigieg, Attitude’s Person of the Year for 2020, made history as the first out gay man to run for President of the United States before dropping out. Later, he became the first out gay US cabinet member when he was confirmed as Transportation Secretary under President Biden.
Mayor Pete will be available on Amazon Prime on 12 November. Check out the trailer below:
The Attitude Awards issue is out now.
Subscribe in print and get your first three issues for just £1 each, or digitally for just over £1.50 per issue.
