A New Form of Political Partner Arrives in Washington

Though the transportation secretary makes $221,400, based on authorities wage knowledge launched in January, the Buttigiegs’ life as a cupboard household contrasts with a few of their most notable predecessors who lived in suites within the high-end Jefferson Lodge, like Robert E. Rubin, the Clinton-era Treasury secretary, or in multimillion-dollar houses within the Kalorama neighborhood of Washington, like a number of members of Mr. Trump’s cupboard and interior circle. Neither is Mr. Buttigieg aware of Washington’s customs and unstated guidelines. It’s unclear what sort of pointers and suggestions he’ll get from his direct predecessor within the transportation partner division, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican minority chief and husband of Elaine Chao.

“It looks like that is possibly a spot the place innocence goes to die,” Mr. Buttigieg stated of the elements of Washington he’s now aware about.

In a much-photographed interplay, he lately acquired espresso with Mr. Emhoff to speak about discovering new initiatives and adjusting to life within the capital, the place the Buttigiegs moved from South Bend, Ind.

“Generally you simply have to get out of the home,” he stated, “and test in with any individual.”

Some days, whereas his husband is at work or fielding Zoom calls from the bed room, Mr. Buttigieg, who’s adapting his memoir, “I Have One thing to Inform You,” for youthful readers, takes the canine out. Buddy and Truman have expansive social media profiles, and Mr. Buttigieg is commonly mistaken because the canine walker by followers.

(“‘What’s it prefer to stroll Pete’s canine?’” he stated he’s requested. “It’s a dwelling,” is his response.)

Balancing his life as a political partner along with his personal identification has been trickier than he’d imagined.

“Pete is getting up within the morning, going to work and doing the factor that makes him actually blissful,” Mr. Buttigieg stated. “That factor for me was getting up and going to highschool every single day. Now I’ve to determine if that’s one thing I can return to.”