Chasten Buttigieg stops in Naperville to discuss new kid's book with Bonnie Hunt
It's where his husband — former U.S. transportation secretary and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg — proposed. At gate B5 to be exact.
O'Hare is also where, more than seven years later, he flew in Thursday before traveling out to Naperville to talk about his new children's book, 'Papa's Coming Home.'
Alas, he didn't stop by B5 this time. He wanted to squeeze in a little time to have lunch with family before hitting the stage.
Chasten Buttigieg spent Thursday night discussing his latest release to a room of more than 200 people at North Central College's Meiley-Swallow Hall. Actress Bonnie Hunt, of 'Jerry Maguire' and 'Cheaper by the Dozen,' joined in conversation for the sold-out evening, which featured insight into Buttigieg's new work but far more than that too. Buttigieg and Hunt touched on politics, love and even his family's 14-year-old, one-eyed puggle, Buddy.
Naperville marked the seventh stop in a two-week book tour that launched last week in Traverse City, Michigan, Buttigieg's hometown and where he and his family now live.
'Papa Coming Home' tells the story of two kids, Rosie and Jojo, excitedly preparing to go get their dad from the airport after he was away on a trip. Together, alongside their other dad, they get ready to welcome him home, pulling together anything and everything they could need for their very best hello. They make a sign — glitter and all — pick flowers and yes, even bake a seven-layer chocolate cake. Ultimately, though, the thoughtful fanfare falls away and the reunion itself is what makes the moment one to relish.
Ahead of Thursday's discussion, as Buttigieg steamed his blue suit jacket for the night, he reflected on what inspired the book — his third — and kept his sights on family in light of speculation over what political aspirations his husband has in years to come.
Earlier this month, Pete Buttigieg returned to Iowa, where in 2020 he pulled off a narrow win of the state's Democratic presidential caucuses, for an event focused on veterans. Hours ahead of the town hall-style meeting, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, suggested to an independent journalist that he would look at running in 2028, The Washington Post reported.
Asked about the Iowa event and whether it was a signal that his husband intends to run, Buttigieg said, 'No, I don't think it's a signal.'
'I think Iowa has always been great to our family,' he said. 'You know, it's important to remember that Democrats are still there. That we don't just show up in places during an election cycle. … I don't think it speaks to a much larger calculus.'
Buttigieg added that after four years spent in Washington, D.C., he's 'very grateful to have him home right now.'
'I get it,' he said. 'We're in a really tough spot. I love him to pieces, and I think he's fantastic at what he does. I know he feels that pressure. But I just don't think I'm ready to think about much more.'
In March, Pete announced that he would not be seeking an open U.S. Senate seat in Michigan.
'You always have somebody knocking on your door telling you that you need to do more, you need to step up. … I think every family can relate to trying to get it right between doing right by work and doing right by your family,' Buttigieg said. 'But I think we're really grateful right now for this opportunity to maybe get to say no to more things, and then just cherish being together.'
The Buttigiegs adopted twins, Penelope and Gus, in 2021. They're now 3 years old, about to turn 4 this summer, Buttigieg said. They're what inspired 'Papa's Coming Home.'
'I was frustrated that we don't have a lot of books that look like our family,' he said. 'I think every family is deserving of a book that reflects their families so their children can see themselves reflected on the pages of the book.'
Buttigieg also said that he wanted to write a story about unconditional love.
'Papa's Coming Home' has been in the works for about two years. The idea came to Buttigieg while he was flying home from a work trip.
'Obviously, travel has played a key role in many things in our life,' he said. 'I thought it was kind of funny that it came to me while on an airplane.'
Take O'Hare International, for instance. Beyond their engagement, the airport is also where Chasten and Pete Buttigieg first 'met.' It was 2015, and Buttigieg was living in Chicago at the time as he pursued his master's degree in education from DePaul University. Buttigieg recalled sitting in O'Hare — at gate B5 — when he first started messaging with Pete on a dating app.
Fast forward to today, Buttigieg said, 'We go through O'Hare a lot, and it's very special when we're together.'
After inspiration struck for 'Papa's Coming Home,' Buttigieg said his kids continued to influence his work as the book progressed, acting as sounding boards for him to bounce around ideas with.
Buttigieg says they love the finished product and see themselves in the pages.
'I remember when we got the artwork back … my daughter came running up behind me and was like, 'Hey, that's me. That's Gus. That's Papa. That's Daddy,'' he said. 'She just immediately saw her family. What a special gift to be able to give that to your kid, but every kid should have that opportunity, right?
'Families come in all shapes and sizes, and we just need more books that reflect the diversity and breadth of America. I think at the end of the day, this is just a story about another quintessential American family.'
Still, Buttigieg said he's not 'naive to the realities in which we live.'
Before Naperville, Buttigieg was in Tennessee, where he met with a lot of teachers, librarians and people 'worried about students losing access to books like this,' he said.
In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aiming to ban 'anti-American ideologies,' including gender ideology, in K-12 schools or risk loss of federal funding.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration fired longtime librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. The White House cited no specific reason for her termination, though the conservative American Accountability Foundation had alleged she was promoting children's books with 'radical content,' and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated she was 'putting inappropriate books in the library for children.'
Buttigieg emphasized that 'books are windows and mirrors.' In the case of his latest release, 'for my family, it's a mirror — we see ourselves in the book,' he said. But for other families it's a window into someone else's life, he said.
'But this book isn't about differences,' he said. 'This book is about unconditional love. It just so happens to have two dads, the same way our kids are reading books with families that look different as well.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
24 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Texas dispute highlights nation's long history of partisan gerrymandering. Is it legal?
Who is responsible for gerrymandering? In many states, like Texas, the state legislature is responsible for drawing congressional districts, subject to the approval or veto of the governor. District maps must be redrawn every 10 years, after each census, to balance the population in districts. But in some states, nothing prevents legislatures from conducting redistricting more often. In an effort to limit gerrymandering, some states have entrusted redistricting to special commissions composed of citizens or bipartisan panels of politicians. Democratic officials in some states with commissions are now talking of trying to sidestep them to counter Republican redistricting in Texas. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up How does a gerrymander work? Advertisement If a political party controls both the legislature and governor's office — or has such a large legislative majority that it can override vetoes — it can effectively draw districts to its advantage. One common method of gerrymandering is for a majority party to draw maps that pack voters who support the opposing party into a few districts, thus allowing the majority party to win a greater number of surrounding districts. Another common method is for the majority party to dilute the power of an opposing party's voters by spreading them among multiple districts. Why is it called gerrymandering? The term dates to 1812, when Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry signed a bill redrawing state Senate districts to benefit the Democratic-Republican Party. Some thought an oddly shaped district looked like a salamander. A newspaper illustration dubbed it 'The Gerry-mander' — a term that later came to describe any district drawn for political advantage. Gerry lost re-election as governor in 1812 but won election that same year as vice president with President James Madison. Advertisement Is political gerrymandering illegal? Not under the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court, in a 2019 case originating from North Carolina, ruled that federal courts have no authority to decide whether partisan gerrymandering goes too far. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote: 'The Constitution supplies no objective measure for assessing whether a districting map treats a political party fairly.' The Supreme Court noted that partisan gerrymandering claims could continue to be decided in state courts under their own constitutions and laws. But some state courts, including North Carolina's highest court, have ruled that they also have no authority to decide partisan gerrymandering claims. Are there any limits on redistricting? Yes. Though it's difficult to challenge legislative districts on political grounds, the Supreme Court has upheld challenges on racial grounds. In a 2023 case from Alabama, the high court said the congressional districts drawn by the state's Republican-led Legislature likely violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting the voting strength of Black residents. The court let a similar claim proceed in Louisiana. Both states subsequently redrew their districts. What does data show about gerrymandering? Statisticians and political scientists have developed a variety of ways to try to quantify the partisan advantage that may be attributable to gerrymandering. Republicans, who control redistricting in more states than Democrats, used the 2010 census data to create a strong gerrymander. An Associated Press analysis of that decade's redistricting found that Republicans enjoyed a greater political advantage in more states than either party had in the past 50 years. Advertisement But Democrats responded to match Republican gerrymandering after the 2020 census. The adoption of redistricting commissions also limited gerrymandering in some states. An AP analysis of the 2022 elections — the first under new maps — found that Republicans won just one more U.S. House seat than would have been expected based on the average share of the vote they received nationwide. That was one of the most politically balanced outcomes in years.
36 minutes ago
Texas and California joust for political advantage
AUSTIN, Texas -- The nation's two most populous states — California and Texas — grappled for political advantage in advance of 2026 elections that could reorder the balance of power in Washington and threaten President Donald Trump's agenda at the midpoint of his second term. In Texas, Democrats on Monday prevented their state's House of Representatives from moving forward, at least for now, with a redrawn congressional map sought by Trump to shore up Republicans' 2026 midterm prospects as his political standing falters. In California, Democrats encouraged by Gov. Gavin Newsom are considering new political maps that could slash five Republican-held House seats in the liberal-leaning state while bolstering Democratic incumbents in other battleground districts. The move is intended to undercut any GOP gains in Texas, potentially swinging House control and giving Democrats a counterweight to Trump on Capitol Hill. A draft plan aims to boost the Democratic margin in California to 48 of 52 congressional seats, according to a source familiar with the plan who was not authorized to discuss it publicly. That's up from the 43 seats the party now holds. It would need approval from lawmakers and voters, who may be skeptical to give it after handing redistricting power to an independent commission years ago. The rivalry puts a spotlight on two states that for years have dueled over jobs, innovation, prestige — even sports — with the backdrop of clashing political visions — one progressive, one conservative. After dozens of Democrats left Texas, the Republican-dominated House was unable to establish the quorum of lawmakers required to do business. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has made threats about removing members who are absent from their seats. Democrats counter that Abbott is using 'smoke and mirrors' to assert legal authority he does not have. The House quickly issued civil arrest warrants for absent Democrats and Abbott ordered state troopers to help find and arrest them, but lawmakers physically outside Texas are beyond the jurisdiction of state authorities. 'If you continue to go down this road, there will be consequences," House Speaker Rep. Dustin Burrows said from the chamber floor, later telling reporters that includes fines. Democrats' revolt and Abbott's threats intensified a fight over congressional maps that began in Texas but now includes Democratic governors who have pitched redrawing their district maps in retaliation — even if their options are limited. The dispute also reflects Trump's aggressive view of presidential power and his grip on the Republican Party nationally, while testing the longstanding balance of powers between the federal government and individual states. The impasse centers on Trump's effort to get five more GOP-leaning congressional seats in Texas, at Democrats' expense, before the midterms. That would bolster his party's chances of preserving its fragile U.S. House majority, something Republicans were unable to do in the 2018 midterms during Trump's first presidency. Republicans currently hold 25 of Texas' 38 seats. That's nearly a 2-to-1 advantage and already a wider partisan gap than the 2024 presidential results: Trump won 56.1% of Texas ballots, while Democrat Kamala Harris received 42.5%. According to the tentative California proposal, districts now held by Republican Reps. Ken Calvert, Darrell Issa, Kevin Kiley, David Valadao and Doug LaMalfa would see right-leaning voters shaved and Democratic voters boosted in a shift that would make it likely a left-leaning candidate would prevail in each race. In battleground districts held by Democratic Reps. Dave Min, Mike Levin and Derek Tran, the party's edge would be boosted to strengthen their hold on the seats, the source said. Democratic members of California's congressional delegation were briefed on the new map on Monday, according to a person familiar with the meeting who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations. The proposal is being circulated at the same time that Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has said he wants to advance partisan redistricting. He says he won't move ahead if Texas pauses its efforts. Newsom said he'd call a special election for the first week of November. Voters would weigh a new congressional map drawn by the Democratic-controlled Legislature. 'California will not sit by idly and watch this democracy waste away,' Newsom said Monday. More than 1,800 miles (2,900 kilometers) from Austin, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appeared with Texas Democrats and argued their cause is national. 'We're not going to tolerate our democracy being stolen in a modern-day stagecoach heist by a bunch of law-breaking cowboys,' Hochul said Monday. 'If Republicans are willing to rewrite rules to give themselves an advantage, then they're leaving us with no choice: We must do the same. You have to fight fire with fire.' In Texas, legislators who left the state declined to say how long they'll hold out. 'We recognized when we got on the plane that we're in this for the long haul,' said Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer while in Illinois. Texas House Democratic Caucus leader Gene Wu said members 'will do whatever it takes' but added, 'What that looks like, we don't know.' Legislative walkouts often only delay passage of a bill, like in 2021, when many Democrats left Texas for 38 days to protest proposed voting restrictions. Once they returned, Republicans passed that measure. Lawmakers cannot pass bills in the 150-member House without two-thirds of members present. Democrats hold 62 seats in the majority-Republican chamber, and at least 51 left the state, according to a Democratic aide. The Texas Supreme Court held in 2021 that House leaders could 'physically compel the attendance' of missing members, but no Democrats were forcibly brought back to the state after warrants were served. Republicans answered by adopting $500 daily fines for lawmakers who don't show. Abbott, meanwhile, continues to make unsubstantiated claims that some lawmakers have committed felonies by soliciting money to pay for potential fines for leaving Texas during the session. ___
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Texas and California joust for political advantage, with Trump power and US House majority in play
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The nation's two most populous states — California and Texas — grappled for political advantage in advance of 2026 elections that could reorder the balance of power in Washington and threaten President Donald Trump's agenda at the midpoint of his second term. In Texas, Democrats on Monday prevented their state's House of Representatives from moving forward, at least for now, with a redrawn congressional map sought by Trump to shore up Republicans' 2026 midterm prospects as his political standing falters. In California, Democrats encouraged by Gov. Gavin Newsom are considering new political maps that could slash five Republican-held House seats in the liberal-leaning state while bolstering Democratic incumbents in other battleground districts. The move is intended to undercut any GOP gains in Texas, potentially swinging House control and giving Democrats a counterweight to Trump on Capitol Hill. A draft plan aims to boost the Democratic margin in California to 48 of 52 congressional seats, according to a source familiar with the plan who was not authorized to discuss it publicly. That's up from the 43 seats the party now holds. It would need approval from lawmakers and voters, who may be skeptical to give it after handing redistricting power to an independent commission years ago. The rivalry puts a spotlight on two states that for years have dueled over jobs, innovation, prestige — even sports — with the backdrop of clashing political visions — one progressive, one conservative. A standoff in Texas after Democrats leave the state After dozens of Democrats left Texas, the Republican-dominated House was unable to establish the quorum of lawmakers required to do business. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has made threats about removing members who are absent from their seats. Democrats counter that Abbott is using 'smoke and mirrors' to assert legal authority he does not have. The House quickly issued civil arrest warrants for absent Democrats and Abbott ordered state troopers to help find and arrest them, but lawmakers physically outside Texas are beyond the jurisdiction of state authorities. 'If you continue to go down this road, there will be consequences," House Speaker Rep. Dustin Burrows said from the chamber floor, later telling reporters that includes fines. Democrats' revolt and Abbott's threats intensified a fight over congressional maps that began in Texas but now includes Democratic governors who have pitched redrawing their district maps in retaliation — even if their options are limited. The dispute also reflects Trump's aggressive view of presidential power and his grip on the Republican Party nationally, while testing the longstanding balance of powers between the federal government and individual states. The impasse centers on Trump's effort to get five more GOP-leaning congressional seats in Texas, at Democrats' expense, before the midterms. That would bolster his party's chances of preserving its fragile U.S. House majority, something Republicans were unable to do in the 2018 midterms during Trump's first presidency. Republicans currently hold 25 of Texas' 38 seats. That's nearly a 2-to-1 advantage and already a wider partisan gap than the 2024 presidential results: Trump won 56.1% of Texas ballots, while Democrat Kamala Harris received 42.5%. The California pushback: A move to undercut GOP House members According to the tentative California proposal, districts now held by Republican Reps. Ken Calvert, Darrell Issa, Kevin Kiley, David Valadao and Doug LaMalfa would see right-leaning voters shaved and Democratic voters boosted in a shift that would make it likely a left-leaning candidate would prevail in each race. In battleground districts held by Democratic Reps. Dave Min, Mike Levin and Derek Tran, the party's edge would be boosted to strengthen their hold on the seats, the source said. Democratic members of California's congressional delegation were briefed on the new map on Monday, according to a person familiar with the meeting who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations. The proposal is being circulated at the same time that Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has said he wants to advance partisan redistricting. He says he won't move ahead if Texas pauses its efforts. Newsom said he'd call a special election for the first week of November. Voters would weigh a new congressional map drawn by the Democratic-controlled Legislature. 'California will not sit by idly and watch this democracy waste away,' Newsom said Monday. More than 1,800 miles (2,900 kilometers) from Austin, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appeared with Texas Democrats and argued their cause is national. 'We're not going to tolerate our democracy being stolen in a modern-day stagecoach heist by a bunch of law-breaking cowboys,' Hochul said Monday. 'If Republicans are willing to rewrite rules to give themselves an advantage, then they're leaving us with no choice: We must do the same. You have to fight fire with fire.' Status of the vote In Texas, legislators who left the state declined to say how long they'll hold out. 'We recognized when we got on the plane that we're in this for the long haul,' said Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer while in Illinois. Texas House Democratic Caucus leader Gene Wu said members 'will do whatever it takes' but added, 'What that looks like, we don't know.' Legislative walkouts often only delay passage of a bill, like in 2021, when many Democrats left Texas for 38 days to protest proposed voting restrictions. Once they returned, Republicans passed that measure. Lawmakers cannot pass bills in the 150-member House without two-thirds of members present. Democrats hold 62 seats in the majority-Republican chamber, and at least 51 left the state, according to a Democratic aide. The Texas Supreme Court held in 2021 that House leaders could 'physically compel the attendance' of missing members, but no Democrats were forcibly brought back to the state after warrants were served. Republicans answered by adopting $500 daily fines for lawmakers who don't show. Abbott, meanwhile, continues to make unsubstantiated claims that some lawmakers have committed felonies by soliciting money to pay for potential fines for leaving Texas during the session.
