Nearly two dozen former ambassadors who worked for President Barack Obama abroad see a commander in chief in the South Bend, Ind., mayor and are using their fundraising connections and stature in elite Democratic circles to build support for him. The campaign is currently discussing plans to deploy Buttigieg’s team of former ambassadors to woo influential undecided Democrats to his team, according to multiple people with knowledge of those discussions. Buttigieg’s diplomatic support extends to the rank and file, as well: Employees of the State Department and agencies within it, along with their spouses, have given more money to Buttigieg’s campaign (over $62,000) than to any other Democrat running for president in 2020, according to analysis from the Center for Responsive Politics.
. . .
“At a time when [State Department] morale is low, his youth and freshness in the national political scene are pluses,” said retired State Department veteran Laura Kennedy, a career foreign service officer who served as ambassador to Turkmenistan in the George W. Bush administration. She also said Buttigieg being the first LGBT presidential candidate would likely appeal to State Department employees. “As a group which as a bureaucratic culture is dedicated to upholding values such as human rights, his status as am LGBT candidate might … [be] a badge of a crusader, someone who has the courage of his convictions.”

. . . the ambassadors backing Buttigieg readily admit their support won’t be game-changing endorsements to voters picking a presidential candidate. But their political and policy experience can be helpful to a campaign, especially an upstart one — and many of them have deep connections in Democratic politics, often as big money fundraisers. “Most of the ambassadors got to be ambassadors because they were deeply involved in Obama’s campaign. So A, they know how to raise money, and B, they know the grassroots politics,” said Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), a Buttigieg supporter and former ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. “We’re not famous enough or important enough to build big events around. But you can build little events that say, ‘the former ambassador to Austria is going to kick off the door-knocking.’” In the coming weeks, former ambassadors Bill Eacho, Tod Sedgwick and Robert Holleyman will all co-headline fundraisers for Buttigieg, according to invitations obtained by POLITICO.

The former diplomats have also helped connect staff members to the Buttigieg campaign. . . On the Buttigieg campaign, former ambassadors supporting him have advised on both domestic and foreign policy. Beyer helped contribute to Buttigieg’s mental health platform. Others have been involved in the 300-person foreign policy working group that have helped shape Buttigieg’s foreign policy platform — an early priority for the South Bend mayor.. .