Pete Buttigieg issues bizarre culinary proclamation from the campaign trail.  

By Tim Nelson
July 29, 2019

When running for president, appearing relatable to likely voters is as much, if not more, important than the policy proposals you espouse. That’s why pundits spend so much time worrying about which candidates voters would like to “have a beer with.” Perhaps because Donald Trump doesn’t drink, a new question for the 2020 election cycle is emerging: which candidate would you want to mix ranch and salsa with? 

That question arises from a recent admission by South Bend, Indiana, mayor and Democratic hopeful Pete Buttigieg, who admitted to partaking in that weird mix of flavors “under certain circumstances” at the beginning of a Q&A segment of an event in Detroit. 

If you’re not from a certain pocket of the Midwest, you’re probably wondering why such a question would even be asked. As it turns out, the combination of salsa and ranch has ties to Mayor Pete’s current jurisdiction. A South Bend-area Tex-Mex chain called Hacienda is known for its in-house ranch, and customers will often blend the two into some unholy concoction that makes burritos zestier, or something. A quick Google search reveals that yes, salsa-ranch is a thing you can make. But to paraphrase the famous Jeff Goldblum line from Jurassic Park, just because you can, it doesn’t mean you should. 

WATCH: 13 Things You Didn't Know About Ranch Dressing

It’s entirely possible that his admission may have cost him votes (and subsequent convention delegates) in California and Texas. You could also argue that his tepid support for this abomination alienated Indianans, too. All I know is that should he win the presidency, there’s a very real chance that Pete Buttigieg will be the first person to eat salsa and ranch in the Oval Office.