When Pete Buttigieg arrived in Washington, DC, earlier this year, he had already become a household name through his 2020 presidential campaign that saw him soar in Iowa and New Hampshire before his exit from the Democratic primaries at the hands of now
The US transportation secretary is seen as a potential successor to Biden if the president reverses course and runs for reelection.
Buttigieg, who was confirmed to his Cabinet post in February, told Politico that he likes his job and has not thought about electioneering since moving to the nation's capital.
This is the least I have had to think about campaigns and elections in about a decade, and that's a good thing.
While Buttigieg has been focused on his role, which has only become more prominent with the passage of the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, some in the Biden White House have already raised his name as a future Democratic presidential nominee.
An individual with knowledge of the situation said that nobody in the West Wing shuts that down. "It's very open."
The Buttigieg talk is said to be frustrating to several staffers of color who see it as a slight toward Vice President Harris, the first female, first Black, and first Indian American to hold the office.
Some of Buttigieg's former 2020 staffers are wondering if a challenge to Harris would be wise given the importance of the Black vote in the Democratic presidential primary process.
Since Buttigieg joined the government earlier this year, his political action committee, Win the Era, has been quiet, but it is still active, with former campaign aides helping with its upkeep.
On NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Buttigieg brushed off any talk of a rivalry with Harris. The secretary rejected the idea that coverage of Harris's political standing had any effect on their relationship.
She and I are part of a team that is disciplined and doesn't pay attention to what's being said. We are too busy with a job to do it. He said that the leader in this administration, with her leadership role, and I, and the president, and everybody else in the cabinet and across the administration are laser focused on getting the job done.
The president assigned us to take on projects and legislation of significance. There's no room for getting caught up in parlor games, and I'm proud to be part of the Biden-Harris team.
While in Arizona, Buttigieg spoke about supply-chain issues that have been driven by the coronaviruses and high consumer demand.
He said that he was excited about the upcoming projects that will be approved in the coming year.
