Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated on September 13 during an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press that he continues to support adding seats to the Supreme Court as part of a reform aimed at reducing partisanship within the institution. Buttigieg had previously expressed support for increasing the number of justices from nine to fifteen.
When asked by host Kristen Welker if he still supports this idea, Buttigieg confirmed, saying, "Yes, I talked about this years ago when I was running for president. At the time, it was a pretty lonely position. People were looking at me funny when I was talking about reforming the Supreme Court." He added, "I think with the years that have come in between, a lot more people are onto that idea because it has become a nakedly partisan institution."
Buttigieg emphasized that the goal of adding justices would not be to increase the number for its own sake but to reform the institution to make it less partisan. He did not specify how many seats he currently supports adding to the Supreme Court.
Vice President Kamala Harris has also addressed the topic of Supreme Court expansion, indicating during a CNN town hall in October 2024 that she believes there should be some form of reform due to declining public confidence in the court. Former Attorney General Eric Holder has similarly supported considering expansion, labeling the court a "broken institution" and suggesting reforms if Democrats gain a governing trifecta in 2028.
In a separate context, Buttigieg has advocated for replacing the Electoral College with a national popular vote system, arguing that it would encourage broader campaigning across the country. In early 2028 Democratic presidential polling, Buttigieg ranked near the top, with a University of New Hampshire poll showing him at 21 percent among Democratic primary voters, closely following Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at 22 percent. A Public Sentiment Institute poll in August indicated Buttigieg receiving 24.2 percent among likely Democratic primary voters in Michigan, while 21.7 percent were undecided.