NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Joe Biden will nominate former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg to be the Secretary of Transportation, the president-elect said Monday night.
Buttigieg, 38, is also the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and a veteran who served in Afghanistan. This would mark his first position within the federal government.
Biden said in a statement, "Mayor Pete Buttigieg is a patriot and a problem-solver who speaks to the best of who we are as a nation. 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. Jobs, infrastructure, equity, and climate all come together at the DOT, the site of some of our most ambitious plans to build back better. I trust Mayor Pete to lead this work with focus, decency, and a bold vision — he will bring people together to get big things done.”
Vice president-elect Kamala Harris said in a statement, "One of the most important parts of building America back better is ushering in a safe, modern, and sustainable transportation system that helps us grow our economy, tackle our climate crisis, and connect all Americans to jobs and opportunity. Mayor Pete Buttigieg is an outstanding choice to help spearhead this work. An innovative problem solver and trailblazing public servant, Mayor Pete is deeply committed to bringing people together and upgrading our transportation system in a way that serves Americans of all backgrounds and communities of every size — urban and rural — across our country.”
Buttigieg, a Rhodes Scholar, would be the first Senate-confirmed LGBTQ Cabinet secretary should his nomination make it through the chamber.
Annise Parker, President and CEO of LGBTQ Victory Institute, said in a statement, "Pete’s nomination is a new milestone in a decades-long effort to ensure LGBTQ people are represented throughout our government – and its impact will reverberate well-beyond the department he will lead. It distances our nation from a troubled legacy of barring out LGBTQ people from government positions and moves us closer to the President-elect’s vision of a government that reflects America."
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement, "With Pete Buttigieg, New Jersey will have an ally for safe and modern infrastructure in Washington leading the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Murphy added, "As a former mayor, he knows importance of investing in safer, more efficient interstate roads and bridges, and in the connections provided by a secure rail network. President-elect Biden has chosen the right person to lead on delivering the promise of clean energy and electric vehicles, on creating new union jobs, and on investments in environmental justice – all of which are inextricably intertwined within our transportation infrastructure. I look forward to working alongside him on issues vital to the future of New Jersey, the Northeast region, and our nation, including putting shovels in the ground for a new Portal Bridge and new tunnels under the Hudson River as part of the Gateway Program.”
Buttigieg dropped out of the presidential race last March ahead of the Super Tuesday primaries and endorsed Biden.
Spokespeople for Buttigieg and Biden's transition team have not commented on the reports.