Bugetti graduated in political sciences from the Cesare Alfieri Institute of the University of Florence. She joined the Democrats of the Left at its founding, being elected in 1999 as a municipal councilor of Cantagallo, a municipality of which she later served as mayor from 2004 to 2014.[2]
In 2010, she was elected secretary of the Prato provincial section of the Democratic Party, a role she held until the end of 2013.[2]
In 2024, Bugetti became the official candidate of the center-left coalition for the position of mayor of Prato, supported by the Democratic Party, the Five Star Movement, Green and Left Alliance, and More Europe, as well as other civic lists. She won at the first round with 52.22% of the votes.[3] On 13 June 2024, she was sworn in as mayor of Prato; she is the first woman to hold this position.[4]
On 20 June 2025, following investigations into her for corruption by the Florence Public Prosecutor's Office, Bugetti announced her intention to resign from the office of mayor.[5][6][7] Her resignation became effective on 10 July 2025.[8]