The Definitive Answer: Was Pete Buttigieg Married Before Chasten? Unpacking His Relationship History

The question of whether Pete Buttigieg was married before his union with Chasten Buttigieg is a common one, often driven by curiosity about the early life and relationship history of one of America's most prominent politicians. As of today, December 18, 2025, the definitive and well-documented answer is no: Pete Buttigieg, the 19th United States Secretary of Transportation and former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was not married prior to his marriage to Chasten Glezman (now Buttigieg) in 2018. His marital history is straightforward, beginning with his public coming out and culminating in his historic marriage.

This article will dive deep into the context of Buttigieg’s relationship timeline, exploring his life before he met Chasten, his personal journey of coming out while in public office, and the details of his enduring partnership that has made him a groundbreaking figure in American politics. Understanding his path provides clarity on why his marriage to Chasten is his first and only one to date.

Peter Paul Montgomery Buttigieg: A Full Biography and Timeline

To fully appreciate Pete Buttigieg’s relationship history, it is essential to first understand his personal and professional timeline. His journey is marked by high academic achievement, military service, and a rapid ascent in politics, all of which preceded his public life as an openly gay man.

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• Full Name: Peter Paul Montgomery Buttigieg
• Date of Birth: January 19, 1982
• Place of Birth: South Bend, Indiana
• Parents: Joseph Buttigieg (Father, Maltese immigrant and Notre Dame professor) and Jennifer Anne Montgomery (Mother, Notre Dame faculty)
• Education: Graduated from Harvard University (B.A.) and the University of Oxford (M.Phil.) as a Rhodes Scholar.
• Early Career: Worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company.
• Military Service: Served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, deployed to Afghanistan in 2014.
• Political Career: Elected Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, in 2011 at age 29, serving from 2012 to 2020. Launched a historic campaign for the 2020 Democratic Presidential nomination. Appointed as the U.S. Secretary of Transportation in 2021.

This timeline shows that Buttigieg was deeply focused on his education and political career throughout his twenties and early thirties. His deployment to Afghanistan in 2014, followed by his public coming out in 2015 while serving as Mayor, set the stage for his adult romantic life to begin in the public eye.

The Pivotal Moment: Coming Out While Mayor of South Bend

The reason Pete Buttigieg was not married before meeting Chasten is directly tied to the timing of his public coming out. He came out as gay in an essay published in the South Bend Tribune in June 2015.

A Private Life Before Public Acknowledgment

For many years, Buttigieg kept his sexuality private, a common experience for individuals navigating personal identity while pursuing a demanding career. This period of his life, while containing personal relationships, did not include marriage. His focus was heavily on his role as Mayor of South Bend and his military service.

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His decision to come out publicly in 2015 was a landmark event, making him the first openly gay executive in Indiana and one of the highest-profile openly gay politicians in the nation at the time. This courageous move opened the door for him to pursue a truly authentic romantic relationship that could lead to marriage.

The timing of his coming out coincided with the Supreme Court's landmark ruling on marriage equality, Obergefell v. Hodges, which further cemented the path for him to marry. Had he been married before this time, it would have been to a woman, or a non-legally recognized same-sex union, but all available biographical records confirm his first and only marriage is to Chasten. This is a crucial distinction that answers the core question definitively.

Pete and Chasten Buttigieg: A Modern Political Love Story

The story of how Pete Buttigieg met and married Chasten Glezman is a classic modern romance that began shortly after his coming out. This relationship is the singular focus of his marital history.

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Meeting on Hinge and the First Date

Just a few months after his public announcement, Pete Buttigieg connected with Chasten Glezman, a junior high school teacher and writer who was living in Chicago at the time, on the dating app Hinge in the summer of 2015. Their early courtship involved video calls and long-distance travel, as Chasten was living nearly two hours from South Bend.

Their first date has become a well-known part of their public narrative—a quintessential Midwestern experience. They attended a minor league baseball game featuring the South Bend Cubs, followed by a walk around South Bend. This relatively low-key, genuine start to their relationship is often cited as a refreshing contrast to the high-stakes world of politics.

The Proposal and Wedding

The relationship quickly became serious, and in December 2017, Pete proposed to Chasten. The proposal itself was romantic and symbolic, taking place at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, a location that held personal significance for Chasten from his time as an exchange student.

The couple married on June 16, 2018, in a ceremony at the Cathedral of St. James in South Bend. The wedding was a significant event, not just for the couple, but for the LGBTQ+ community, as it was one of the first same-sex marriages in the history of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana.

The marriage to Chasten marked Pete Buttigieg’s first, and it was a union that immediately catapulted Chasten into the public eye as a supportive and engaging political spouse during the 2020 Presidential Campaign. Their relationship provided a powerful symbol of contemporary American family life.

Building a Family: The Buttigieg Legacy Continues

Since their marriage, the Buttigiegs have continued to build their family, further solidifying their status as a modern political power couple. Their journey has continued to be documented, providing a clear and unbroken line of their relationship history.

Parenthood and Public Life

In 2021, Pete and Chasten Buttigieg announced they had become parents to twins, Penelope Rose and Joseph August, through adoption. This milestone added another layer to their public story, showcasing the diverse forms of family in American politics. Chasten's book, I Have Something to Tell You, further details their life together, including their personal struggles and triumphs.

The consistent narrative across all major biographies and news reports is that Pete Buttigieg's life and marriage began with his coming out in 2015 and his subsequent meeting with Chasten Glezman. There are no records, reports, or biographical mentions of any previous marriage, either to a man or a woman.

Topical Entities and LSI Keywords:

• Chasten Buttigieg (Glezman)
• South Bend, Indiana
• Secretary of Transportation
• 2020 Presidential Campaign
• Joseph Buttigieg
• Jennifer Anne Montgomery
• Hinge dating app
• Minor League Baseball
• Brandenburg Gate
• Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana
• Naval Officer
• Rhodes Scholar
• Marriage Equality
• Penelope Rose and Joseph August