Buttigieg In Denver: 'I Am Here To Make The Case'

DENVER (CBS4) - After spending most of Saturday in Nevada, Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg traveled to the Crowne Plaza at Denver International Airport for a town hall. The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana talked about Bernie Sanders, who is projected to win the Nevada caucuses.

Buttigieg has a tough task ahead of him in Colorado, a state where Sen. Sanders won the caucuses in 2016. It will also be the first year the state's many unaffiliated voters can choose which primary to vote in.

He's hoping to build momentum in Colorado where mail-in ballots have been sent out.

"We're just a few votes away from Sen. Sanders whom I respect and whose ideals we share, but who has a very different approach getting an insurmountable lead. I am here to make the case for a politics that invites everyone in instead of saying it's my way or the highway," he said.

Buttigieg also criticized the current administration.

"Arent' you ready to put that corruption behind us? Aren't you ready to put those tweets behind us?"

Buttigieg sat down with CBS4's Conor McCue after the event. He responded to the caucuses in Nevada.

"We're very encouraged about the results in Nevada. It settles the question about whether my campaign can be competitive as this race moves into the West and on into the South and nationally for Super Tuesday."

Buttigieg also touched on red flag laws, which Colorado passed last fall.

"Most Americans believe these measures need to happen. Whether we are talking about red flag laws or whether we are talking about universal background checks, including most Republicans. The time has come to get the floor of the Senate to begin resembling the American people."

Buttigieg is among a list of presidential candidates visiting Colorado before Super Tuesday.

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