How Mayor Pete and Chasten Buttigieg Are Working to Lock up the LGBT Vote

As a voting bloc with strong ties to the Democratic Party and with a vast network of well-funded political organizations battle-tested in the nationwide war over same-sex marriage, LGBT voters are a prize target for any Democrat seeking the party’s nomination. But Buttigieg’s historic status as the first out Democratic presidential candidate gives added power to his campaign’s pursuit of LGBT votes and donor dollars. Alongside husband Chasten, the most public-facing political spouse in the field, Buttigieg is courting those supporters in a way no other Democratic candidate can. Sharing the story of his marriage to Buttigieg has often meant that actual marriage has taken a new shape, Chasten said.