Pete Buttigieg is an Afghan War vet, businessman, and 2-term mayor of South Bend, Indiana.

He’s also the latest Democratic hopeful to take on Trump in 2020.

(Washington DC) — Earlier today Pete Buttigieg, the two-term Mayor of South Bend Indiana (pop 105,000) announced his exploratory committee to become the democratic candidate to rival President Trump in 2020.

He also released a kick-off video which is pretty good as far as these things go.

Buttigieg joins Senators Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren who joined the battle previously. The democratic field should be crowded and might ultimately include our own Senator Cory Booker.

“The show in Washington right now is exhausting: the corruption, the fighting, the lying, the sense of constant crisis… it has to end, ” Buttigieg told supporters in an email blast that went out during his announcement. “But we can’t just revert to where we were a few years ago, trying to tinker with a broken system. This is a season for boldness, and we need to focus on the future.”

Bergen County’s own political ninja Jennifer Holdsworth, who served as national campaign manager during Pete’s meteoric rise as a candidate for DNC Chair two years ago, remains a close personal friend and advisor to the Mayor. Her extensive national political contacts, and strategic advice will be a major asset to the well-known underdog candidate.

Buttigieg (pronounced BOOT-edge-edge) becomes the nation’s first open LGBT candidate to make a run for the White House. He’s also a Harvard grad and former Rhodes Scholar at Oxford. Pete’s husband Chasten would become America’s first First Gentleman, an infinitely better chose than, say, Bill Clinton.

But that’s a rabbit hole for another day.

When he became Mayor eight years ago, South Bend was was inauspiciously listed among 100 dying American cities. Now South Bend is a pretty awesome place to live. But I’m a Hoosier so I’m probably definitely more than just a little biased.

Can Pete Buttigieg do for America what he did for South Bend? Is America ready for generational change? Would America rather have a combat veteran serving as commander in chief than a draft-dodger like Trump who needed FIVE (!) Viet Nam deferments because of  sore feet?

The race to winnow the Democratic field is gonna be a wild ride! The carousel is only gonna get faster at this point.

So buckle up!