Biden can make history by nominating a person of color or a woman to head the Treasury or Defense departments — the only two remaining departments that have only ever had white men lead them.
Michele Flournoy, a former under secretary of Defense for policy, is already the frontrunner to lead the Pentagon. A number of women and people of color are also in the mix for the top job at Treasury, including Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard and TIAA CEO Roger Ferguson.
Biden, who pledged to unite the country during the campaign, will likely try to keep his coalition together by nominating a mix of progressives, moderates and even a few Republicans. He’s also likely to draw in some fresh faces alongside longtime Biden loyalists. “I think one thing Joe Biden has always liked is a variety of viewpoints,” said former Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), who served for six years alongside Biden in the Senate. In other words, expect Biden’s own self-styled “Team of Rivals.”
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