Mayor Pete to stump for campaign cash in Santa Fe

Mayor Pete is coming to town. Pete Buttigieg is the first of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates to hold campaign events in the City Different. On Sunday, he will host two private fundraising brunches in Santa Fe.

“He is brilliant, well-spoken, thoughtful, deeply committed to issues of religion, spirituality in our communities around the country,” Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber said Friday about Buttigieg. Webber called him a “real leader.”

The mayor of South Bend, Ind., already has a connection with the city. His mother, Jennifer Anne Montgomery, spent part of her childhood in Santa Fe and has lifelong friends in the city, Buttigieg’s campaign confirmed. She and Pete’s late father, Joseph Buttigieg, met when they were both faculty members at New Mexico State University.

“Pete has a particular fondness for New Mexico,” co-organizer Malcolm Lazin said. “Coming here is particularly special for him.”

Buttigieg’s press secretary, Chris Meagher, said the candidate was not planning any public events on the trip but was “looking forward to being back soon.”

The cost of attending one of Sunday’s brunches ranged from $250 to $2,800 per person, according to a website with event details.

Joe Biden’s wife, Jill, attended a fundraiser in Santa Fe in July.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., speaks during the Democratic presidential primary debate June 27 in Miami, as former Vice President Joe Biden looks on.