Mike Schmuhl

Michael Schmuhl is an American political figure serving as the chair of the Indiana Democratic Party. Schmuhl has previously managed the Pete Buttigieg 2020 presidential campaign. Schmuhl worked for more than a year as Buttigieg's chief of staff during Buttigieg's South Bend, Indiana mayoralty. Schmuhl has also been involved in the business sector.

Early life and education[]

Schmuhl was born and raised in South Bend, Indiana. His father is Robert Schmuhl, an emeritus professor of American Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Schmuhl went to high school at St. Joseph High School,^[1][2] where he befriended a young Pete Buttigieg.^[3][2]

He graduated from University of Notre Dame in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in history.^[1] His uncle William Schmuhl, has also taught at the university.^[4] He later received a master's degree in international affairs from the Paris Institute of Political Studies.^[5]

Career[]

In 2004, Schmuhl was an intern at Meet the Press with Tim Russert at NBC News in Washington, D.C. He then worked at The Washington Post, where he was a producer and booker in the newsroom.^[2]

He returned to Indiana in 2009 and managed Joe Donnelly's 2010 successful congressional reelection campaign.^{[2][3][6][7][1]}

Schmuhl reconnected with his high school friend Pete Buttigieg,^[3] and managed his 2011 campaign for Mayor of South Bend, Indiana.^[1][3][6][7]

In October 2011, after Butch Morgan resigned from his role as Democratic chairman for Indiana's 2nd congressional district, Schmuhl agreed to run for the position.^[7] He was elected by county chairs and vice chairs from the counties in the district in November.^[1]

When Buttigieg assumed the office of mayor in January 2012, he named Schmuhl as his chief of staff.^[2] Schmuhl stepped down from this position in May 2013.^[2] He resigned from the job in order to pursue a master's degree at the Sciences Po in Paris, France.^[5]

He returned to the United States in 2015 and began working at the Democratic consulting firm 270 Strategies in Chicago.^[8]

Schmuhl advised Indiana congressional candidates Shelli Yoder and Mel Hall in 2016 and 2018, respectively, and he also served as treasurer of Buttigieg's hybrid PAC, Hitting Home PAC.^[5][9]

Schmuhl was campaign manager for Buttigieg's 2020 presidential campaign.^[3][4]

After Buttigieg's campaign, Schmuhl began working at Heartland Ventures, a small venture capital firm located in South Bend.^[10][11] Schmuhl also got involved with a business partner in acquiring Joe's Tavern, a bar in South Bend.^[11][12]

In 2021, Schmuhl successfully ran to succeed the retiring John Zody as chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party. On March 20, 2021, Schmuhl won the vote by the state central committee to be the state party chair, electing him to four-year term as state party chairman. In addition, Myla Eldridge, who Schuhl had chosen as his running mate for party executive, was elected by the state central committee to the position of state party co-chair in a separate vote.^[11] Schmuhl announced, after being elected to the role, that he intends to also retain his job at Heartland Ventures.^[11]

See also[]

• Mayor Pete (film)

References[]