Buttigieg tops list for Biden Transportation secretary: CNN

Pete Buttigieg has surfaced as a front-runner to be President-elect Joe Biden’s Transportation secretary, CNN reports.

Several sources told the news network that the former presidential candidate and South Bend, Ind., mayor has a real shot at the position currently held by Elaine Chao, although others are still under consideration.

The list of those who have been previously floated includes former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo.

Buttigieg this year became the first openly gay major Democratic presidential candidate. If Biden selects him for the role, and if he is confirmed, Buttigieg would make history again as the first LBGTQ+ Cabinet secretary.

Reports about Buttigieg come as groups have been pressing Biden for more diversity in his Cabinet picks, and the Asian American community calls on Biden to nominate California’s Transportation Secretary David Kim to fill the role at the federal level.

The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus noted that if Biden fails to select an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) for a Cabinet position, it would be the first time since Clinton held the Oval Office that there is not a AAPI in a Cabinet role. That move, they say, would be “unacceptable.”

Biden’s transition team did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.