The unlikely rise of 2020 Democratic primary contender Pete Buttigieg

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 08: South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg is led through supporters and members of the media as he leaves a meet-and-greet at Madhouse Coffee on April 8, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Buttigieg recently launched an exploratory committee to run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination and has seen a surge in the polls amid a crowded field of Democratic candidates. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The 2020 Democratic primary field is already crowded with big names. It is mostly dominated by senators, who come with huge national profiles: Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker.

But among those, even ahead of some of them, an unlikely figure stands out: Pete Buttigieg, the 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Sure, California senator Kamala Harris’ fundraising numbers are better. Sure, Bernie Sanders is ahead in the polls. But Buttigieg is having something of a moment.