Mayor Pete creating a buzz online and nationwide

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- It’s not just people in South Bend who are excited to see Mayor Pete Buttigieg make his announcement about running for president.

Folks are coming in from all over the country to hear what he has to say and he’s creating a big buzz in the online community as well.

In the Twitterverse, Mayor Pete is reaching people far beyond those living in South Bend and Indiana.

You can find celebrities, sports figures, and influencers tweeting about him.

Sarah Silverman tweets, 'I like this guy a lot.'

Bradley Whitford tweets he's excited by his speeches.

This funny tweet from the mayor himself:

‘Doing a quick bit of laundry. Hear loud scream. Run into kitchen terrified, expecting to see @Chas10Buttigieg in pool of blood. Am thereupon informed that @Lin_Manuel is following my husband, whose life is now complete.’  

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People are traveling from far and wide to hear the big announcement.  Some just learning about him, others longtime fans.

Sarah Oehm is driving in from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

“It was that CNN Townhall that really drew my attention, I was like wow!  This guy has got some zingers here,” said Oehm.

She’s driving in with a carload of people, some friends and even some possible strangers she’s connected with online.

“As soon as I heard that April 14th was an event in South Bend, I started a car pool and booked a hotel room," said Oehm.

She said Mayor Pete is so inspiring, she plans to volunteer for his campaign in Milwaukee.

“He has a certain authenticity that really relates to Midwesterners outside of South Bend," said Oehm.

Ammie Minton is driving up from St. Louis, Missouri with her husband and two kids.

“I think this announcement is pretty historic, the first openly gay candidate,” said Minton.

She said she just found out about Mayor Pete and his plans for the White House and she likes what he has to say.

“He can stand on his character, he is a good human being who has invested himself in public service.”

Flying in from Denver, Colorado, Sheena Kadi said while Mayor Pete’s been on her radar for a while, it’s exciting to see his star rise.

“Seeing our countries first LGBTQ candidate who is also from Indiana, who is also a person of faith, who is also a millennial, it feels like this historic moment I just couldn’t pass up,” said Kadi.

She said making the decision to come to south bend wasn’t easy, because the drive and the flight were pricey both in time and money.

“At the end of the day, this is history," said Kadi.