Buttigieg, who withdrew mid-race from the US Democratic primary, says "I will contribute to party and national unity" (Comprehensive Report 2)

Facing the Wall of Racial Diversity, Election Campaign Halted... Ultimately a Tempest in a Teapot

Bloomberg's Late Surge Also Speculated... Democratic Primary in Turmoil Ahead of Super Tuesday

▲Pete Buttigieg, former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who caused a sensation by taking first place in the first Democratic primary in the U.S., announced his withdrawal just one month after the start of the primary. This decision, made ahead of the upcoming 'Super Tuesday' on the 3rd (local time), is interpreted as ultimately failing to overcome the wall of 'racial diversity.' As a result, the Democratic presidential primary is likely to solidify into a two-horse race between Senator Bernie Sanders, representing the party's progressives, and former Vice President Joe Biden, representing the moderates.

According to major foreign media including The Washington Post (WP) on the 1st (local time), Buttigieg's campaign announced that they would halt the election campaign and return to South Bend.

On the same day, former Mayor Buttigieg said through his official campaign website in a live broadcast, "Our goal has always been to defeat President Donald Trump and help unite America to win an era of new values," adding, "At this point, the best way to uphold the beliefs we have maintained?rule of law, respect, truth, courage, responsibility?is to step aside and contribute to the unity of our party and nation."

He then stated, "So tonight, I make the difficult decision to suspend my campaign," explaining his withdrawal.

Buttigieg reflected, "More than 20 people, including senators, mayors, billionaires, and former vice presidents, challenged the Democratic primary," and "We ranked in the top four in the initial four state primaries and made history by winning the Iowa caucus."

He also said, "All of this was thanks to your support," and "This showed that Americans crave new politics."

This decision ahead of Super Tuesday came after Buttigieg placed fourth with a single-digit vote share (8.2%) in the fourth Democratic primary held the day before in South Carolina. Buttigieg failed to secure a single delegate in the South Carolina primary.

On the 29th, another presidential candidate, Tom Steyer, also announced his withdrawal, leaving six remaining Democratic presidential primary candidates: Senator Bernie Sanders, former Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Elizabeth Warren, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Senator Amy Klobuchar, and Representative Tulsi Gabbard.

Buttigieg gained attention by unexpectedly taking first place in the Iowa caucus, the first hurdle of the Democratic primary, on the 3rd of last month. He then placed second in the New Hampshire primary with 24.4% of the vote, narrowly losing first place to Senator Bernie Sanders.

However, he faltered by placing third and fourth in the Nevada and South Carolina primaries, respectively, revealing limitations in his appeal as a Democratic presidential candidate. Buttigieg's support among people of color, including Hispanics and African Americans, was low, and his identity as a 'gay' man also negatively affected conservative voters. Because of this, there were predictions that if he performed poorly in Nevada, where the majority of voters are people of color, his momentum could falter. In fact, Buttigieg barely passed the 15% cutoff threshold with 15.4% of the vote in Nevada, placing third. In the South Carolina primary, he placed fourth with 8.2% of the vote.

The New York Times (NYT) reported, "Buttigieg placed third in Nevada, where many Latino voters reside, and fell to fourth in South Carolina, where African American voters make up the majority," adding, "Exit polls show he received only 3% support from Black voters."

With Buttigieg's mid-race withdrawal ahead of 'Super Tuesday,' the Democratic presidential primary is expected to see a fierce contest between Senator Sanders, who leads, and former Vice President Biden and Senator Warren, who represent the moderates. The key point to watch on Super Tuesday, when 14 states hold primaries simultaneously, will be who absorbs Buttigieg's moderate votes. Currently, former Vice President Biden, who won the fourth primary in South Carolina the day before with an overwhelming 48.4% of the vote, is likely to form a two-horse race with Senator Sanders. Attention will also focus on how much support former Mayor Bloomberg, who has been considered part of the moderate trio along with Buttigieg and Biden, will garner. Bloomberg did not participate in the four regional primaries last month. Therefore, there is speculation that Bloomberg will show a late surge on Super Tuesday.

With Buttigieg's withdrawal, Senator Amy Klobuchar, who was grouped among the minor candidates, is also expected to face difficulties. Like Buttigieg, Klobuchar has low support among people of color.

Buttigieg had breakfast with former President Jimmy Carter on the 29th. On that day, Carter told reporters, "I did Habitat activities in South Bend, Indiana, last year," and "I first got to know Buttigieg then, and I liked him from the moment we met."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.