U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster: Buttigieg Is A ‘Unifier'

Democratic presidential candidate former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks during the New Hampshire Youth Climate and Clean Energy Town Hall, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, in Concord, N.H.

Aidan Connelly is a production assistant on Boston Public Radio. A graduate of Emerson College with a B.A in journalism, his work has appeared on WBUR, KCRW, and The Marketplace Morning Report.

February 10, 2020

Updated August 07, 2023

One day before New Hampshire voters cast their ballots in Tuesday’s primary, U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster stopped by the WGBH News pop-up studio in Manchester to voice her support for the candidate she says can defeat Donald Trump in 2020: Pete Buttigieg.

“I had a unique opportunity,” Kuster told Jim and Margery on Boston Public Radio. "I met almost all the candidates… I did events, in some cases several events, with Corey Booker and Elizabeth Warren… [and] at the end of the day, I felt that I owed my constitutes [a look into] my decision making process. Obviously I plan to vote, and I didn’t want to keep it a secret. So a month ago I endorsed mayor Pete Buttigieg, and I feel really good about it.”

The four-term U.S. Representative went on to praise her candidate of choice, comparing his calm demeanor and relative center-left policies to former president Barack Obama in 2008.

“The most important issue for me, honestly right now, is temperament. I think the American people are exhausted by [President Trump,] and they feel that the day-to-day vitriol, and the drama [is enough]… I was one of the first people on board with Obama, we used to call him ‘no drama Obama.’”

Aidan Connelly is a production assistant on Boston Public Radio. A graduate of Emerson College with a B.A in journalism, his work has appeared on WBUR, KCRW, and The Marketplace Morning Report.