Make way for Mayor Pete. Pete Buttigieg is currently leading the pack of Democratic presidential hopefuls in the Iowa caucus, which has faced all sorts of scrutiny in recent days for being too complicated and inefficient (and still, somehow, lacking final results). But so far, the results that have come in are working in Buttigieg’s favor — which means the mayor’s political star is on the rise and he may very well be the Democratic nominee in 2020. Although his list of celebrity endorsements isn’t quite as robust (or diverse) as, say, Bernie Sanders, with this momentum from Iowa, it’s likely to continue growing well into the primary season.
Considered somewhat of an underdog in the race due to his lack of political experience, Buttigieg has carved out an interesting niche for himself within the Democratic party. He’s an openly gay, elder millennial who hangs out in ultra exclusive wine caves, all of which has made him appealing to celebrities of all varieties. According to The Cut, Mayor Pete has racked up an extensive list of celeb donors, ranging from fashion heavy-hitters like Anna Wintour and Tom Ford, to Hollywood icons Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Bacon.
Clearly, Buttigieg doesn’t shy away from working the celeb circuit. Now that he’s got this big lead in Iowa, it’s only a matter of time before his circle of famous friends widens. Ahead, we’ve rounded up some of the big names that are backing the former South Bend, Indiana mayor.
Ellen DeGeneres
DeGeneres appears to be all in for Buttigieg. She’s had him on as a guest on her talk show and has helped him fundraise in Hollywood. Last April, she tweeted: “These words make me very, very happy. ‘My name is @PeteButtigieg. They call me Mayor Pete. I am a proud son of South Bend, Indiana. And I am running for President of the United States.’” Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage.
Mandy Moore
The This Is Us star has been one of Buttigieg’s main surrogates, even joining him on the campaign trail ahead of his win in Iowa. “I don’t think that Hollywood even knows what to do with him,” Moore recently told CNN. “He’s that much of an original right? He’s a Midwestern mayor who took office at 29 and turned around a city on the brink. He’s a Navy veteran who saw firsthand the cost of endless war. But he’s also just this brilliant, plain spoken millennial who speaks half a dozen languages.”Photo: Lester Cohen/Getty Images.
Gwyneth Paltrow
The Goop goddess herself is so far on the Mayor Pete train that she’s even hosted a fundraising event for him in the comfort of her crystal-laden home. According to Variety, the private reception, which took place last May, brought out nearly 100 people, including Bradley Whitford and Martin Sheen (essentially a mini The West Wing reunion), and several former U.S. ambassadors. Photo: Daniele Venturelli/WireImage.
Emmy Rossum
While it’s not clear if the Shameless star has held any fundraising events at her home for the mayor, she has shown her support for him on social media. Last August, she shared a snapshot of her and the presidential hopeful with her 3.5 million followers. The caption? A short, simple message accompanied with a heart emoji: “@pete.buttigieg Link in bio to help!” Photo: Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images.
Seth MacFarlane
The comedian and Family Guy creator defied Twitter’s character limit by sharing a lengthy endorsement for the mayor that was typed up in his Notes app. “[Buttigieg] is quietly one of the best presidential candidates I’ve seen in my lifetime,” MacFarlane said. “A lot of these candidates are flashy, noisy, and put on a good dinner show, but that’s not what we need once the real work begins. Whether he wins this round or not, it’s likely this guy will be president one day.”Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage.
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