Joe Biden hasn’t picked any of the nearly two dozen Democrats who ran against him to serve in his administration — and that bodes quite well for the former rival he did elevate as his No. 2, Kamala Harris…
“He’s not putting together a team of rivals, he’s putting together a team. That sets him apart from everybody,” said Mary Anne Marsh, a Democratic strategist from Massachusetts who served in senior roles for John Kerry, Biden’s incoming special envoy on climate change. “Obama had a team of rivals, other presidents have had a team of rivals. He’s not interested in conflict as much as he wants to have people who have done the job before and they can all work together to get all the work done.
“That,” Marsh added, “benefits Kamala Harris.”
Several Democratic operatives argued Harris cleared the primary field of other moderate Democrats for 2024 the moment Biden chose her as his vice president. Even if Biden does elevate a 2020 rival to a high-profile Cabinet position, that person would have to resign midway through the term and then mount a challenge against the current vice president.
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