RALEIGH, N.C. — Before former Vice President Joe Biden's victory in South Carolina, Senator Bernie Sanders took Nevada and New Hampshire, with Pete Buttigieg barely edging him out in Iowa by one-tenth of a percentage point.
In North Carolina, the Indiana mayor is hoping for a much bigger victory on Super Tuesday. That's why he spent Saturday night in Raleigh trying to build momentum for his campaign.
Supporters gathered at the Broughton High School gym. Many of them were already all-in on Mayor Pete, several even standing in line in the cold for quite a while. But, they told WFMY News 2 they didn't mind if it meant a chance to see Buttigieg on stage and in person.
"Really watch him. Watch the debates. Listen to him. Educate yourself," said Bruce Seidel, "The more you learn about Mayor Pete, the more you're going to want him to be our next president."
Jamie English brought her family from Jamestown to see him for a second time.
"They really needed to see him in person," she said, "The energy is just crazy. He's so inspiring and intelligent, and I just want so badly for him to be our next President because he's going to help heal this divided country."
The crowd greeted Buttigieg with a warm welcome: cheers and chants kicking off the Saturday night speech.
Buttigieg congratulated Biden on his South Carolina victory, also, thanking voters for coming out for that primary.
He said the country cannot afford four more years of President Donald Trump, pleading for his supporters to rally even more voters to cast their ballot for him.
"As a mayor who lives hundreds of miles away from Washington, in a middle-class neighborhood in a diverse city in the industrial Midwest – what I'm offering is a new approach. I'm offering a nominee – and a presidency – where you can turn on the TV and actually feel your blood pressure go down instead of up through the roof," he said.
Buttigieg talked about healthcare costs, the growing importance of mental health, listening to science and paying attention to climate change.
He also spoke on how the second amendment shouldn't be an excuse to do nothing about gun violence; on how his time in the service taught him Americans are more alike than different; and how teachers need to be paid more for all they do.
