Pete Buttigieg now calls Michigan home, plans to vote in midterms

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who bought a house in the Traverse City area two years ago, is planning to vote in the midterm elections in the state this year, a spokesperson confirmed for the Free Press on Friday

It had been previously reported that Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who ran for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020, had purchased a home in northern Michigan with his husband, Chasten, who grew up in Traverse City.

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This week, the website Politico reported that a spokesperson for the U.S. Transportation Department said the secretary also had legally changed his residency to Michigan and planned to register to vote in the state. A spokesperson confirmed that for the Free Press on Friday.

The Buttigiegs adopted newborn twins last year and having a residence in Michigan allows them to be closer to Chasten Buttigieg's family. “Moving to Chasten’s hometown of Traverse City allowed them to be closer to his parents, which became especially important to them after they adopted their twins, often relying on Chasten’s parents for help with child care,” the spokesperson said,

The Department of Transportation also issued a release Friday noting that Buttigieg will be in Grand Rapids on Monday to "highlight new investments" made at the airport there by the Biden administration.

Buttigieg's presence in Michigan has been underscored recently by his appearing on cable news shows from Traverse City to discuss airline delays. In June, he attended the Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island, discussing the need for gas tax relief with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

The Buttigiegs also rent a home in Washington, D.C.

Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @tsspangler. Read more on Michigan politics and sign up for our elections newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Pete Buttigieg is a Michigan resident