The gym at the McCreary Community Building in Perry was filled past capacity Sunday afternoon, with people eager to hear from Democratic Presidential hopeful Pete Buttegieg.

The South Bend, Indiana Mayor was making his first visit to northern Dallas County, and was greeted by a standing room only audience. Buttegieg talked about a wide assortment of issues, ranging from the economy to the military, and also discussed how much his campaign has grown in the last year. He spoke about hope for a divided nation and why he feels he’s the right person to reunite people. “When you have a message that reaches people where they are, anything is possible in this country. Even now in our strange and challenging and sometimes dark times. I believe that we are at the cusp of a much better moment in the life of this country, if we have the discipline to bring it about.”

Following his speech, Buttegieg was asked several questions that were posed by attendees and drawn from a bowl. They included topics such as education, mental health, and foreign affairs. Buttegieg is one of 15 candidates in the running for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the June 2020 primary election, and he emphasized to the audience that his hope rides with the upcoming Iowa Caucuses.