Biden taps Buttigieg to serve as Transportation secretary

President-elect Joe Biden has tapped former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) to serve as Transportation secretary.

Buttigieg would be the first openly gay Cabinet secretary to be confirmed by the Senate if installed in the position. Rick Grenell, who served as the acting director of national intelligence from February to May, was the first openly LGBTQ Cabinet secretary.

The former mayor ran against Biden in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary before dropping out and endorsing the former vice president. Despite his loss, Buttigieg at times was seen as a front-runner in the race and is viewed as a rising star in the Democratic Party. 

The Biden-Harris transition made the pick official on Tuesday night.

“Mayor Pete Buttigieg is a patriot and a problem-solver who speaks to the best of who we are as a nation,” Biden said in a statement. “I am nominating him for Secretary of Transportation because this position stands at the nexus of so many of the interlocking challenges and opportunities ahead of us.”

If confirmed, Buttigieg, 38, would likely play a key role in crafting a potential infrastructure package. Infrastructure is one of the few areas seen as a bipartisan issue.

The Department of Transportation has traditionally been a Cabinet post where officials from the opposing party have been given consideration. President Obama nominated GOP Rep. Ray LaHood (Ill.), while George W. Bush put Democrat Norm Mineta in the position.

The Transportation Secretary oversees thousands of employees and sub-agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Federal Highway Administration. 

Buttigieg has been a vocal supporter of Biden since his endorsement earlier this year and campaigned for the former vice president virtually. Buttigieg also served on Biden’s transition team. 

Buttigieg served as the mayor of South Bend from January 2012 to January 2020. He took a seven-month leave during his tenure in 2014 to serve in Afghanistan with the Navy. Prior to his time as mayor of South Bend, Buttigieg worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company.

Updated at 7:24 p.m.