Black Leader From Mayor Pete’s Own Town Council Endorses Biden, Says Buttigieg’s Black Voter Problem a ‘Consistent Issue’
Oliver Davis — the longest-serving black man on the town council in Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s hometown of South Bend, Indiana — has endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for president, while saying that Mayor Pete’s trouble connecting with voters of color is a longstanding issue.
The Biden campaign proudly announced the endorsement by South Bend Common Council Vice President Oliver Davis in a press release Friday:
Today, Dr. Oliver Davis, the current vice president of the South Bend Common Council, announced he is endorsing Joe Biden for President of the United States. Dr. Davis is the immediate past president of the South Bend Common Council and one of the longest-serving African American South Bend council members.
“In times like these, when the political winds are fiercely blowing across our country, it’s important for us to have an experienced leader who has been through the diverse storms of life to guide our country. That’s why I am very pleased to support Vice President Joe Biden to be our next President of the United States of America,” said Dr. Oliver Davis Jr.
Dr. Davis joins two other African American elected officials from Indiana — State Reps. Cherrish Pryor and Greg Porter — supporting Biden, and he adds to the growing list of leaders from across the Midwest joining Team Joe.
To date, Biden for President has drawn support from more than 600 national, state, and local leaders, including current and former U.S. senators and representatives, governors, state elected officials, and community leaders.
Dr. Davis discussed his endorsement in an interview with Politico, and cited Biden’s skill and experience. He also said that Buttigieig’s problem attracting black support is not new:
“When you’re flying in the middle of a storm, you want to make sure you have steady, experienced leadership,” Davis said. “I believe that Vice President Biden has demonstrated throughout the years by having a steady hand, he can help lead us through these times, and with all of the challenges we face nationally and now even internationally, he has the relationships, has the skills, and I think he can bring us together in different ways.”
But Davis also scolded Buttigieg, saying the mayor’s woes attracting support from communities of color “is not a new problem for him.”
“For us, this has been a consistent issue that has not gone away,” Davis said.
Asked if Buttigieg could win a general election, given his current low levels of support from people of color in the Democratic presidential primary, Davis said: “I doubt it. I sincerely doubt it.”
The article goes on to explain that Brown lost a recent mayoral bid to James Mueller, Buttigieg’s former chief of staff.
But as Politico points out, this endorsement only serves to highlight the disconnect between Mayor Pete and a key — if not the key — constituency in the Democratic base. In one recent national poll, Buttigieig earned the support of three black voters. Not three percent, three people.
