U.S. Mayors have become President

Within a post on JFK, Jr. at PEOPLE magazine:


Once we were in a meeting with Sen. Al D’Amato, who said John should run for mayor of New York City.
After we left, I asked him, “Would you ever run for mayor?” and he said no. I asked him why, and he said,
“Well, Rosie, how many mayors do you know that become President?”



link: The JFK Jr. We Loved: Close Friends Look Back at the (Ridiculously) Handsome but Down-To-Earth First Son

Although one might guess the answer is zero, the correct answer is three, with the most notable being Grover Cleveland who had been the mayor of Buffalo, New York. More mayors became president than senators from Massachusetts. Cleveland's VP mate was Thomas Andrews Hendricks of Indiana. Hendricks died on November 25, 1885, after serving less than a year as VP. After Hendricks died, Cleveland had no vice-president for the duration of his first term.

Related to "Mayor Pete" of South Bend, U.S. Grant's first vice-president was Schuyler Colfax of South Bend, Indiana, who was the first person to have served as Vice-President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

So, mayors can become president and people from South Bend, Indiana can be powerful.