A Republican Looks Likely in Biden's Cabinet

Politico takes a deep dive into the rumor mill
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 8, 2020 3:00 PM CST
A Republican Looks Likely in Biden's Cabinet
President-elect Joe Biden stands on stage with his wife Jill Biden as he gives the thumbs-up to the cheering crowd, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in Wilmington, Del.   (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

A polarized country. China relations. The coronavirus. Climate change. Joe Biden will have a lot on his plate, assuming he overcomes legal challenges and becomes the nation's 46th president—but he can't do it alone. "Men, women, gay, straight, center, across the board, Black, white, Asian," Biden said earlier this year about his prospective cabinet, per the New York Times. "It really matters that you look like the country." But if Republicans hold onto the Senate, he'll need their support, which could nix progressive picks. He'll also face pressure from Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and his party's left wing. Amid all this, Politico offers its top picks based on conversations with Biden aides, allies, and Capitol Hill insiders. Among them:

  • Defense: Michele Flournoy, WestExec Advisors CEO and former under secretary of Defense for policy.
  • State: Susan Rice, former Obama national security advisor and former UN ambassador.
  • Treasury: Lael Brainard, Federal Reserve governor.
  • Justice: Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama.
  • Homeland Security: Alejandro Mayorkas, former deputy secretary of Homeland Security.
  • Commerce: Meg Whitman, CEO of Quibi and former GOP candidate for governor of California.
  • Veterans Affairs: Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Indiana.
  • EPA: Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board.
  • UN Ambassador: Wendy Sherman, director of the Harvard Kennedy School's Center for Public Leadership.
For more top picks—and a deep dive into alternates—see the full piece at Politico. (Or see who wants to be Biden's labor secretary.)

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