Mayor Pete in Montana!
Mayor Pete in Montana!  
Podcast: Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou
Published On: Sun May 17 2026
Description: Apologies to everyone who noticed the blurry video in our live stream this morning— it seems the Montana WiFi overlords are not playing well with us. We uploaded the clean version here so you can watch it without frustration! Former Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg (or Mayor Pete, as we lovingly call him) is in Big Sky Country this weekend stumping for the Montana Plan, an effort to make the effects of the Citizens United decision a moot point—with hopes the effort will spread to other states. Last week, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green signed a similar measure into law. Basically, Montana has the authority to remove corporations’ power to spend in politics through corporation laws which are controlled by the states—other states can follow suit. While Hawaii’s measure passed through the legislature, Montana organizers are putting it to the voters with a ballot initiative. We couldn’t let Mayor Pete come to town without having him join us for an in-person podcast episode. We touch on the Montana Plan, but also discuss 2026, how to restore trust in our institutions, and what the Democrats need to do moving forward. Plus, we talk about soaring costs and the redistricting wars. Plus, does he ever lose his cool? While Pete didn’t make any major headlines about what his future holds, he did discuss the new book he’s working on and what he would do if he happened to find himself in a famous office now decorated with gold accents. Thanks to the University of Montana School of Journalism for letting us use their studio! You can watch the live stream of Sec. Pete Buttigieg’s Butte town hall HERE!