There have been anonymous reports from those inside the White House that Pete Buttigieg may be being considered as a possible successor to Joe Biden, either in the 2024 election or in 2028 depending on whether Joe Biden runs for reelection. Buttigieg is a popular candidate, but many people of color feel that it would be an insult to Kamala Harris if he were to step into that role.

One relevant individual remarked to Politico in regards to Buttigieg as a candidate that, “Nobody in the West Wing shuts that down. It’s very open.” In a recent interview, Buttigieg himself seemed to brush off the idea, yet he did not deny it entirely. He simply said that for now he is enjoying his job as Secretary of Transportation and the relief of not having to run an active campaign.

Buttigieg spoke to Phoenix last week about his current role. He specifically said that, “the other thing that I’m really enjoying about this job, although it’s very demanding and obviously requiring a lot, is that this is the least I have had to think about campaigns and elections in about a decade and that’s a very good thing.”

While Pete Buttigieg says he’s not contemplating the race to be Joe Biden’s successor, inside the West Wing, others are imagining it for himhttps://t.co/82RRhtKb4x

— POLITICO (@politico) November 24, 2021

For now, many aspects of the situation remain unclear. Despite saying that he plans to do so, many reliable sources question whether or not Biden will actually run again in 2024. If he backs out of the race, it is anyone’s guess at this point who will become the democratic candidate of choice.

Buttigieg is being thrown out by many as an ideal candidate, and in some ways he is a likable and reliable choice. His biggest downfall, and the thing that cost him the most during his 2020 bid for democratic primary, is that he lacks support from the African American community and other people of color.