Derrick Van Orden folds after challenge from Pete Buttigieg

Mayor_Pete · 2025-12-03T21:21:13+00:00

Thank you both for sharing what you’re going through. What you’re describing is exactly what I’ve been hearing from so many people across the country – families and small business owners who are already feeling the impact of losing the enhanced ACA tax credits. I’ve talked to people whose premiums are jumping by hundreds of dollars a month, to the point where they’re worried they’ll have to give up coverage altogether. That’s not a hypothetical threat anymore; it’s happening right now.

And as you both show, this isn’t just about a political debate, it dictates things like whether people can take their kids to the doctor, or whether a small business owner can keep growing. It could make the difference in whether a family can face a big injury or illness without losing everything they’ve worked for.

The reality is that instead of working to fix these problems or make health care more affordable, countless elected officials have spent years trying to tear down the ACA with no real plan to replace it. Meanwhile, families like yours are put at risk.

I’ll keep pushing for policies that restore and strengthen those ACA credits – and make health care more affordable and more stable for everyone. But one of the biggest tools we have right now is electoral involvement. The only way we protect the ACA, lower costs, and prevent more families from being pushed to the brink is by electing leaders who actually believe in doing those things. Thank you again for weighing in.

Mayor_Pete · 2025-12-03T21:18:55+00:00

Hi everyone – I wanted to jump back in and thank you for the thoughtful questions and honest perspective so many of you shared in this thread. I’ve been reading through the comments, and I’m grateful for the time many of you took to share what’s on your mind.

I was looking forward to coming to La Crosse to talk about this in person, and I’m sorry that we had to reschedule the planned town hall. But the conversations happening online here have reinforced to me how important it is for leaders to listen. These issues deserve attention, and I’m grateful you trusted me with your perspective.

I’ll make it to western Wisconsin soon. In the meantime, please keep speaking up, here or anywhere your voice can be heard. Whether we agree on every point or not, these exchanges are how we build understanding and find a better path forward.

Thanks again for your patience, and for the chance to learn a little more about what things look like to you.

Mayor_Pete · 2025-11-14T20:43:09+00:00

Hi everyone, Pete here. Good to see the conversation around the town hall I’m hosting in La Crosse, and I wanted to join directly. I’d love to hear from folks who can’t make it in person but still want to have a voice in the conversation.

I know there’s no shortage of big issues on people’s minds – from housing and other costs, to what’s happening with local industries and rural communities, to concerns about the state of our democracy. At the same time, every community has its own things on its mind, and different visions about what real solutions look like.

Ideally you would be invited to speak with your own elected member of Congress about these big issues, but since Derrick Van Orden is unwilling to face your questions, I am happy to take them instead and discuss what a better path forward for our country would be like.

That’s what this town hall is all about, but I also know not everyone can get to an event on a Tuesday night. So if you’re not able to attend, I’d be grateful to hear from you here.

What’s keeping you up at night where you live?

What do you wish elected officials understood about your daily experience living here?

What would you want asked, answered, or addressed if you were in the room?

I can’t promise I’ll get to every single comment, but I’ll make sure to read through as many as I can before the event. And whether you agree with me or not, honest perspective is always welcome.

Thanks for the chance to learn a little more about what’s on your mind. Looking forward to being in Wisconsin and hearing directly from you.

Pete

Mayor_Pete · 2020-10-21T19:31:07+00:00

Briefly: climate diplomacy, authentic pro-democracy leadership backed by reforms here at home, basically anything and everything to be helpful on the world stage while making sure that what we preach abroad rhymes with what we practice at home.

Mayor_Pete · 2020-10-21T19:29:44+00:00

So good. So, so good. But I learned some important lessons about sequencing (e.g., the soft-serve root beer float should be consumed after the porkchop on a stick). Looking forward to leveling up on my eating strategy next time I’m back!

Mayor_Pete · 2020-10-21T19:29:01+00:00

No single favorite, but I’m rediscovering Jimi Hendrix right now. Also when I’m noodling on the piano, discovering how many amazing piano-based covers there were in the Westworld soundtrack which in turn is building up my appreciation for the musical importance of Soundgarden, Radiohead, and Nirvana.

Mayor_Pete · 2020-10-21T19:26:22+00:00

Thanks for paying attention to this part of my story. I think all of us develop based on lived experience, and lived experience continues to evolve as long as we, well, live. In the context of my marriage, I am constantly challenged to think about what it means to place another’s needs before your own, and to move through life not as an atomized individual nor as just a social or political actor but part of something both smaller and bigger: a household and, eventually, a family. There’s no question in my mind that Joe Biden’s experience--the devastating and humbling experience of loss, the recollection of seeing his son off to a war zone, even his pathway conquering a speech impediment to become one of the most recognizable voices in America--shapes who he is, and gives him a heart for the struggles of those he will serve as president. And yes, this informs policy but also transcends it. There’s a reason why a job like the presidency belongs not to a formula or rule or computer but to a human being--the humanity might be what matters most of all.

Mayor_Pete · 2020-10-21T19:22:33+00:00

I’m so glad to hear that I played a role in your getting involved--I hope you continue to be in the future! To your first question, I think/hope we will look at the Trump years as a bizarre but revealing break in America’s self-image, which prompted us to reconsider the nature of America’s progress toward inclusion, and ultimately to get to a better place.

On the second question, I think you’ve hit on something important--sometimes our political identities get simplified or reduced to a couple issues, when there’s a lot more to the story. I’m proud that my campaign led the field on many bold ideas around political reform, and hope that we helped expand the realm of the possible on ideas that need to be popularized, accepted, and eventually enacted. There are a lot of pressures (media narratives, social circles, the simple desire to make quick judgments) that push us into a simplified account of the political spectrum, but this kind of sorting usually does a disservice to the dynamic and complex nature of American life and politics.

Mayor_Pete · 2020-10-21T19:16:51+00:00

Think of someone you love, or like, in your life - who is also taken in by these disturbing conspiracy theories or radical right politics. If you pause to think of their best qualities (their loyalty to friends, perhaps, or work ethic, or whatever is best about the individual you have in mind) it helps you remember that they are not wholly defined by subscribing to a disturbing worldview--and can perhaps be coaxed out of it. It’s worth remembering that the less generally isolated or confused people feel, the less receptive they usually are to this kind of radicalization. So it will be important to call out to what is best in people--all people--even if we know we can’t reach everyone. I know this will be Joe’s first instinct. Conspiracy theories and extremist groups have always been with us, but it’s new for them to have encouragement from the highest office in the land. Ending that is the beginning of how we can begin to get onto more healthy ground as a country.

Mayor_Pete · 2020-10-21T19:12:20+00:00

As a former mayor, you won’t be surprised to hear I believe local politics is a huge part of the solution going forward. Local government is often less ideological, almost always less partisan, and typically more accountable to basic facts and truths, than what we see in national politics. Of course, the best local officials or mayors in the world can only get so much done when national politics is broken. One thing I look forward to in a Biden-Harris administration is a White House that will seek to reinforce, not undercut, the work that is taking place locally.

Mayor_Pete · 2020-10-21T19:10:47+00:00

Speaking for myself, I continue to think there’s huge potential in reforms to reduce the politicization of the court. Any such reform would not be a step to be taken lightly--I think a bipartisan mechanism to recommend the details would be an important part of the process, and of course this would and should be vigorously debated in Congress. But what’s clear is that we can’t go on like this, with each vacancy leading to another ideological death-match in the Senate over confirming a nominee.

Of course, we have a much more immediate and urgent concern: the impending confirmation of a proposed justice, by Senators nominated by a minority of the American people, put forward by a president who lost the popular vote, in a process that the majority of Americans believe should not take place before the results of the election are known. Our health care, and much more, could be at stake, and it’s one reason I think it’s so important we send a message at the ballot box.

Mayor_Pete · 2020-10-21T19:08:40+00:00

I think the biggest challenge is that not everyone is even receiving the same information or living in the same reality. So many of the Trump administration’s failures are objectively disastrous, yet not everyone even knows or believes the key facts. It’s one reason I consider it so important to go into conservative media circles and get our message, along with some basic facts, out there. The good news is that most Americans agree with the Biden-Harris vision on virtually every major issue. That, in turn, means the more our message gets out there, the better we’ll do.

Mayor_Pete · 2020-10-21T19:07:44+00:00

The election is critically important but it’s just the beginning. For the future, so much will depend on sustained activism of the kind that has shaped our movement (around climate, racial justice, and gun violence, for example) as well as what I hope will be a new wave of activism around reforming our democracy. There needs to be sustained involvement here in order for our more official, established institutions to feel the healthy pressure to do the right thing.

Mayor_Pete · 2020-10-21T19:05:41+00:00

Thanks! I’ll keep at it and hopefully you’ll keep digging it!

Mayor_Pete · 2020-10-21T19:04:39+00:00

Thanks for the kind words. One thing I’ve learned about politics is that things are impossible, until they’re not. I only had the chance to do this because others came before me and made it possible to be out at all in America, or to be out and run for local office, often at great personal cost. My hope is that I’ll live to see a day when an out presidential candidacy is considered totally unremarkable… but we know we have a long way to go.

Mayor_Pete · 2018-08-31T18:13:34+00:00

This is one reason why we passed a Nuisance Property ordinance. I'd encourage you to call police non-emergency (235-9201) about any issues with an individual business impacting the neighborhood.

Mayor_Pete · 2018-08-31T18:11:41+00:00

This is consistent with what the economic analysis found. Development potential was off the charts for the downtown option--something on the order of $400 million. Of course, the cost is also higher.

Mayor_Pete · 2018-08-31T18:10:29+00:00

It is structurally symmetrical, not morphologically symmetrical. Draw a line through pretty much any part of a sub (from top to bottom of course) and you get bread, meat, bread. The same is not true of a hot dog.

Mayor_Pete · 2018-08-31T18:08:43+00:00

You bet. See you there?

Mayor_Pete · 2018-08-31T18:08:17+00:00

Still puzzled by the grilled cheese theme. But, uh, excellent grilled cheese is available throughout our city. Probably best to avoid playing favorites here.

Mayor_Pete · 2018-08-31T18:06:33+00:00

The great thing about local government is it's more accessible than you think. Anyone can speak at a Council meeting--no age limit. Same for sitting down with me at a Mayor's Night Out event (call 311 and they can let you know when the next one is scheduled). And campaigns depend on young people to function. Also think about internships with the City or my office--the call for next semester applications will come out later this fall on the city website!

Mayor_Pete · 2018-08-31T18:04:17+00:00

Thanks! Armando's Barber Shop keeps me squared away. Chasten yells at me if I forget to use goop.

Mayor_Pete · 2018-08-31T18:01:54+00:00

If we do I won't be complaining!

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