---
title: "Pete Buttigieg is ending his presidential campaign"
description: "Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg plans to announce that he is ending his presidential campaign."
date: "2020-03-02"
modified: "2020-03-02"
authors:
  - name: "Haley Britzky"
    job_title: "Former Army Reporter"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/haley-britzky/"
url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/pete-buttigieg-suspending-2020-campaign/"
categories:
  - "Around the World"
  - "Military Branches"
  - "Navy"
  - "News"
  - "United States"
tags:
  - "lgbt"
  - "the white house"
---

# Pete Buttigieg is ending his presidential campaign

![](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/21077148-3.jpg>)

Democratic presidential candidate and Navy veteran Pete Buttigieg plans to announce that he is ending his campaign for president on Sunday night.

A campaign official confirmed the news to Task & Purpose on Sunday.

The announcement comes after the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana — and the first openly gay major presidential candidate — suffered a "crushing loss" in the South Carolina primary on Saturday, [the New York Times reported.](<https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/01/us/politics/pete-buttigieg-drops-out.html>)

Buttigieg, 38, was one of the only presidential candidates with military experience, having been deployed to Afghanistan in 2014. In an [interview with Task & Purpose](<https://taskandpurpose.com/military-life/pete-buttigieg-interview/>) last year, Buttigieg declined to answer if he considers himself a combat veteran or not, saying he sees himself only as a veteran and would "leave it to others to decide what else to call it."

Along with Buttigieg, two other veterans have unsuccessfully attempted to win the Democratic nomination for the 2020 presidential election: [Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.)](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/seth-moulton-marine-officer-president/>) and [retired Navy Rear Adm. Joe Sestak.](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/navy-admiral-running-president/>)

Now [Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii)](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/gabbard-on-syrian-chemical-attacks/>), a major in the Hawaii Army National Guard, is the only veteran in the presidential race.

## Author
Haley Britzky was the Task & Purpose Army reporter from 2019 to 2022. She previously worked at Axios covering breaking news. She reports on important developments within the service, from new uniforms to new policies; the realities of military life facing soldiers and their families; and broader cultural issues that expand outside of the Army, touching each of the military services.Â

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/haley-britzky-b09022a0/>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/halbritz>)