Biden made his first administration hire this week, with others on the horizon. Here are some top contenders.
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Sally Yates, former deputy attorney general in the Obama administration, served briefly during the Trump administration transition as acting attorney general. She was fired for refusing to support the president’s ban on immigration from Muslim countries.
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Health and Human Services
Vivek Murthy, a trustee of the Rand Corp. and health adviser to Biden’s campaign. Murthy, was surgeon general during the Obama administration. If appointed, he would be the first person of South Asian descent to be named Secretary of Health and Human Services.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, whom Biden considered as vice president previously was a state Cabinet secretary for the Department of Aging and Long-term Services from 2002 to 2004 and the Department of Health from 2004 to 2007. If appointed, she would be the second Latina named Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Labor
Julie Su, secretary of California’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency, is a contender for Labor Secretary. Prior to that position, she was California labor commissioner. If appointed, she would be the second Asian American woman named Secretary of Labor.
William Spriggs, is a professor of economics at Howard University, chief economist to the AFL-CIO and former assistant secretary of labor during the Obama administration. If appointed, he would be the first Black man named Secretary of Labor.
Education
Randi Weingarten, is the head of the American Federation of Teachers. She personally endorsed Sen. Elizabeth Warren during the Democratic primary but organized virtual campaign events for Biden.
Lily Garcia, former head of the National Education Association whose mother is from Panama. She serves on the president’s advisory commission on educational excellence for Hispanics and is a board member of the Economic Policy Institute. If appointed, she would be the first Latina named Secretary of Education.
Transportation
Eric Garcetti is the mayor of Los Angeles and co-chairman of Biden’s vice presidential search committee. If appointed, he would be the third Latino man named Secretary of Transportation.
Housing and Urban Development
Alvin Brown is a former mayor of Jacksonville, Fla. He was an adviser to Andrew Cuomo when he was HUD secretary during the Clinton Administration.
Maurice Jones served as deputy undersecretary of the department during Obama’s administration and is currently the president and CEO of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation. After his work for the Obama administration, Jones served as Virginia’s secretary of commerce under Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe.
If either are appointed, they would be the fourth Black man named HUD Secretary, and it would be the first time a Black man succeeded another Black man in the role.
Agriculture
Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, heads the Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition and Oversight. If appointed, she would be the first Black woman named Secretary of Agriculture.
Heidi Heitkamp, is a former senator from North Dakota who served on the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee and previously served as state attorney general.
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Energy
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, is a former member of the House representing the state, which includes several of the department’s facilities.
Ernest Moniz is a nuclear physicist who served as President Obama’s Energy Secretary.
Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall was the United States Deputy Secretary of Energy during Obama’s second term. During Obama’s first term, she served as White House coordinator for Defense Policy, Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Arms Control.
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Director of National Intelligence
Sen. Angus King, the Maine independent who caucuses with Democrats, is a top contender for director of national intelligence, according to Politico. King is a member of the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services committees.
Central Intelligence Agency
Avril Haines, former deputy director of CIA, is the first woman to serve in that post, and was deputy national security adviser during the Obama administration. If appointed, she would be the third woman to serve as Director of the CIA.
Thomas E. Donilon, is a former national security adviser in the Obama administration who oversaw the transition at the State Department.
Michael Morell, is a 30-year CIA veteran who served as the agency’s acting director and its deputy director from 2010 to 2013.
U.S. trade representative
Jennifer Hillman has extensive experience in trade and international economics as a former World Trade Organization judge and a one-time general counsel in the USTR’s office.