Surrogates For Biden And Trump Stump For Their Candidates Via Zoom In Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Mayor Pete Buttigieg dropped out of the presidential contest on March 1.
Now he's back on the trail, campaigning for the man who defeated him -- Joe Biden.
And he's not alone.
Also hitting the trail is a senior member of the Trump campaign with a special connection to Pittsburgh.
They are called surrogates, and Joe Biden and Donald Trump will have a lot of them in this region over the next six months.
This week it was first Mayor Buttigieg stumping for Biden, and then it was Tim Murtaugh, grandson of the Pirate great Danny Murtaugh, pitching for Trump.
The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, says he's no stranger to Pittsburgh.
"I think Pittsburgh really carries the story of America's economic transformation in so many ways, and a lot of it runs with my own community here in South Bend," Buttigieg told KDKA political editor Jon Delano on Wednesday.
"In fact, one of the first things we did when I was mayor was come out with our Chamber of Commerce to have a look at everything that was going on."
WATCH: KDKA's JON DELANO INTERVIEWS MAYOR BUTTIGIEG
For ties to Pittsburgh, Trump's campaign communications director points to his grandfather, Danny Murtaugh, manager of the World Series champs in 1960 and 1971.
"Behind me on the wall here as you mentioned is a team photo of your world champion 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates led by Vern Law and Roberto Clemente and, of course, Bill Mazeroski," Murtaugh said on Thursday.
Both see this region as key to winning Pennsylvania in the 2020 presidential race.
Buttigieg says Biden connects with people here.
"He has been laser focused on making sure that families, working middle class Americans, can get ahead."
"And I think that's a message that resonates strongly in our part of the country, especially now in the economic situation that we're all living through."
"We need a president who understands what's at stake in our part of the country," notes Buttigieg.
WATCH: KDKA'S JON DELANO INTERVIEWS TIM MURTAUGH
But Murtaugh says Trump has already delivered for this region.
"For blue collar workers jobs, union member jobs, they know that he is fighting for them. "
"That's why they were with him in 2016 and that's why they'll be with him again this November. "
"The President's record on job creations, particularly as it relates to the industries that western Pennsylvania depends upon – his record is impeccable," adds Murtaugh.
For more on what they had to say about their candidates and the issues like fossil fuels, younger voters and the role of faith and morality, check out the full interviews with both Murtaugh and Buttigeg on CBSN.
