Buttigieg and McCann argue Republican self-interest is undermining the American Dream

Democrats shored up their support for Michigan state Sen. Sean McCann Wednesday as former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg joined the Kalamazoo Democrat in support of his effort to flip what was once considered a safe Republican seat in Congress.

McCann, who is serving his second term in the Michigan Senate, is challenging U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Holland Township) for Michigan’s 4th Congressional District. 

Huizenga is seeking a ninth term, while Democrats are pushing hard to establish a foothold in the southwest Michigan seat. Those efforts have seemingly paid off, with the nonpartisan Cook Political Report gradually shifting its rating of the race from “likely Republican” to “toss-up,” meaning either party has a strong chance of pulling out a win in the district. 

During the rally in downtown Kalamazoo, Buttigieg and McCann focused on the economic squeeze voters are feeling due to rising prices for gas, housing, healthcare and childcare. 

@michiganadvance Former U.S. Transportation Secretary @Pete Buttigieg ♬ original sound Michigan Advance

“My kids are teenagers, and Secretary Buttigieg’s are younger than that, but we’ve got to make sure that they have that hope and that dream of that American Dream, that home ownership, that retirement, that ability to have a quality of life that’s maybe better than ours,” McCann said, arguing that Congress and President Donald Trump’s self interests are standing in the way of that dream.

Both McCann and Buttigieg pointed to Trump and congressional Republicans’ promise of lowering costs, with Buttigieg arguing that their efforts are actively costing Americans money. 

“They’re doing the opposite of what they promised they would do, but a lot of people trusted that promise that leaders like Bill Huizenga and like this president made,” Buttigieg said. “A lot of people trusted them when they said they’re going to keep us out of new wars in the Middle East, only for American blood and treasure to be committed to a conflict that is going on in Iran with no end in sight, and all of us paying for it at the pump, not to mention the service members who are paying the highest price of all. We can do better than that in the United States.”

Buttigieg told the crowd that one does not need to be a “campus progressive” to believe that “billionaires and trillionaires” should be paying at least as high of a tax rate as a school teacher, nurse or firefighter.

“You don’t have to be somebody who has always, always voted Democrat to think that at a moment like this, when we have the wealthiest economy in the world, but also one of the most unequal, we could be spending our dollars in a fairer way and making sure that the next generation can get ahead too,” Buttigieg said.

Ahead of the event, Huizenga’s campaign released a statement painting McCann as out of touch for campaigning with Buttigieg, citing the former transportation secretary’s comments about a California policy aimed at phasing out the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035.

Huizenga’s campaign pointed to a 2022 article from Fox Business, discussing an interview where Buttigieg said he was interested in following some state efforts to phase out the sale of gas-powered vehicles that go beyond those set by the federal government. However, Buttigieg did not directly answer whether President Joe Biden’s administration would support policies similar to California’s.

In the past Buttigieg has repeatedly pointed to transportation – including electric vehicles – as a vital solution for addressing climate change, but has stressed that there is no federal mandate requiring Americans to purchase electric vehicles.

“While ‘Tax Man’ McCann campaigns with a radical who wants to end the auto industry and raise gas prices, I’m fighting for a tax break on car purchases and a gas tax holiday to bring real relief to families who need it,” Huizenga said.