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Buttigieg opens up on same-sex marriage, replies in Norwegian to question

Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigeig impressed people by speaking in Norweigan during a campaign visit to South Carolina Saturday.
Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg's foreign language skills proved a big talking point on a campaign visit to South Carolina during which he opened up about his same-sex marriage Saturday.

The details: The 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, spoke of the personal impact of the Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage at an event in Columbia, saying his marriage to Chasten Glezman exists "by the grace of a single vote" in the landmark 2015 ruling, the Associated Press reports.

  • Buttigieg said doctors were treating his father for chemotherapy when his mother was told she needed a triple bypass, according to the AP. His husband was able to stay at the hospital with his mother while Buttigieg went to tell his father because Glezman "is a member of our family."

The big picture: If Buttigieg were to become the Democratic nominee, he would be the first openly gay presidential candidate from a major political party. Buttigieg also speaks French, Spanish, Italian, Maltese, Arabic and Dari, his campaign adviser Lis Smith told the BBC.

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Pete Buttigieg