08/07/2024 --axios
If she wins, Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to name a Cabinet and West Wing that are younger than President Biden's, with more people of color, sources close to her tell us.Why it matters: Biden took a comfort-food approach to staff, so a second term could've looked like a rerun. Despite her risk aversion, Harris — while turning to plenty of familiar names — will also add some powerful new characters to Washington's cast. It's been 18 days since Biden bowed out. Harrisworld has been consumed with locking up the nomination, rebooting the campaign, preparing for the convention in Chicago two weeks from now — and getting ready for last night's captivating debut with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.So staffing the government hasn't been a central obsession. But based on conversations with a wide variety of current and former aides and associates, we can give you a good sense of her early shortlists. "You won't see a bunch of new people you've never heard of," said one Harris adviser, noting she kept much of Biden's campaign hierarchy.What we're hearing: The options listed below are preliminary. But they show how Harris and her team will start mapping her prospective administration:White House chief of staff: Harris, who has already made lots of history herself, might well make history with the first chief of staff who is Black — perhaps former Attorney General Eric Holder, who led the vetting of her veep options. Or the first chief of staff who's a woman — perhaps Lorraine Voles, her vice-presidential chief of staff, or Jen O'Malley Dillon, the campaign chair. Either could also be rewarded with the plum West Wing jobs of counselor or senior adviser. Secretary of State: Sen. Chris Coons (Del.), who's on the Foreign Relations Committee, would love to run Foggy Bottom. For confirmation reasons, Harris could be expected to lean into senators and former senators if Republicans take the Senate. CIA director Bill Burns and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also would be on the list. Treasury: Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is popular with business and would be considered for Treasury. Wally Adeyemo, now deputy Treasury secretary, is one of the Biden officials most likely to get promoted in a Harris administration. Blair Effron, an investment banking partner who's very active in D.C. and New York, is another name to watch.Defense: Another place to make history — perhaps with Michèle Flournoy, who was undersecretary of Defense for policy under President Obama, as the first woman to lead the Pentagon.Attorney General: Former Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama, a former U.S. attorney, could be confirmed to head Justice, even if Republicans win control of the Senate.Commerce: Ray McGuire, president of the investment bank Lazard, Charles Phillips (a tech executive on the Defense Innovation Board), and other Black business leaders would be on the list.U.S. ambassador to the UN: Pete Buttigieg, 42, the Transportation Secretary and a finalist for Harris' running mate, still has ambitions to be president one day. So a role where he gets international experience would be attractive to him. We're told he and Harris have gotten friendlier since they were rivals for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.U.S. trade representative: Tom Nides — U.S. ambassador to Israel under Biden, and deputy secretary of state under Obama, now with the private equity and real estate giant Blackstone — would be strong for USTR, UN ambassador, or other top international roles.White House counsel (or Justice): Tony West is a top Harris campaign adviser who's chief legal officer at Uber, a former U.S. associate attorney general, and is married to Harris' sister, Maya. But bringing a family member into the White House is complicated. So West could remain an outside adviser. Brian Nelson, a close California ally who just left the Treasury to join her campaign, could land in a top role, either as White House counsel or at Justice.National security adviser: Phil Gordon, Harris' national security adviser in the V.P.'s office, looks headed for this role. Others to watch include Tom Donilon, who was Obama's national security adviser, and Rahm Emanuel, now U.S. ambassador to Japan.White House press secretary: Brian Fallon, the Harris campaign's senior adviser for communications, would be a top contender for the podium. Fallon is an alumnus of Sen. Chuck Schumer's tough office, plus the Justice Department and the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. Ian Sams, who has done well in podium outings as White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations, worked on Harris' 2019 presidential campaign. Communications director: Lily Adams, assistant Treasury secretary for public affairs, was communications director in Harris' Senate office and on her 2019 campaign.Watch for: Ambassador Emanuel to be a key player in the transition if Harris wins. Emanuel is a former House member, Chicago mayor and White House chief of staff for Obama.Emanuel would be interested in a Cabinet job with an international dimension.Harris sources mentioned several current officials who would have a good chance at a variety of Cabinet roles:At the top of this list is Sen. Laphonza Butler, 45, a longtime labor leader from Harris' home state of California. She was appointed to fill out the seat of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Butler isn't seeking a full term, so she leaves office in January.Sen. Alex Padilla — California's senior senator and the son of parents who emigrated from Mexico — was appointed to fill Harris' term after she was elected vice president, making him the first Latino to represent the Golden State in the Senate.If Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer were to take a job in a Harris administration, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II would become the Wolverine State's first Black governor.All three of those officials would be considered confirmable, even by a Republican Senate.Between the lines: Harris has had a stair-step progression to the pinnacle of American power — from elected D.A. of San Francisco, to state attorney general, to U.S. senator, to vice president, to party nominee. So look for her to reward officials who similarly have worked their way up and are super-prepared — even over-prepared — for the jobs she gives them.Her roster of options is likely to include state attorneys general she served with from 2011 until she went to Capitol Hill in 2017. Plus also-rans from the V.P. search that ended yesterday with Walz as winner.Axios' Hans Nichols contributed reporting.
