Aug.13

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Who Might Be in Harris' Cabinet?

Axios' Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei, two of the best-plugged-in journalists this side of Maggie Haberman, are already asking folks in Harris' orbit about who might be in her Cabinet if she wins. Of course, she has been running only 19 days, so her plans for an administration have not exactly been on the front burner. Nevertheless, some people close to her have begun thinking about actually governing and who would be on her team. At risk of getting out ahead of our skis, here is what Allen and VandeHei have heard:

• Chief of Staff: Harris picked former AG Eric Holder to vet the veeps, so she clearly trusts him enormously. He would be the first Black chief of staff. Alternatively, her campaign chair, Jen O'Malley Dillion, would be the first female chief of staff. Or maybe she could keep her current chief of staff, Lorraine Voles.
  
  
• Secretary of State: The chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is always a good choice, especially if the Senate seat is safe. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) might have been a good pick since he seems to know the government of Egypt well. However, with his impending resignation from the Senate, maybe not. Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) is known to want to run Foggy Bottom, so he would be a good choice, as would CIA Director Bill Burns, and NSA Jake Sullivan.
  
  
• Treasury: Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, a former venture capitalist, is popular in the business community and knows finance well. The current #2, Wally Adeyemo, is also a possibility. So is someone from the business world, such as Blair Effron. Probably not Elon Musk, though. Just a guess.
  
  
• Defense: Harris could make history with Michèle Flournoy as the first female head of DoD. She was undersecretary for Barack Obama and knows the ropes.
  
  
• Attorney General: One name floating around is that of Doug Jones, who was briefly a senator from Alabama. He could be confirmed even with a Republican Senate.
  
  
• Commerce: Ray McGuire of investment bank Lazard is a serious possibility. He is also Black. So is businessman Charles Phillips of the Defense Innovation Board.
  
  
• Ambassador to the U.N.: Pete Buttigieg would take it in a flash, as it would give him international experience for a future run for higher office (although for governor of Michigan, maybe not so much). Harris and Buttigieg have gotten friendlier since the 2020 race.
  
  
• Trade Representative: Tom Nides was deputy secretary of state under Obama and was ambassador to Israel under Joe Biden. He has had many high-level positions in government and business and understands trade very well.
  
  
• White House Counsel: Tony West is a top Harris legal adviser. He is a former U.S. associate AG. Oh, and he is married to Harris' sister. That could be legally complicated, though, given nepotism laws. Brian Nelson, who just left Treasury to work for her campaign, might be easier.
  
  
• NSA: Phil Gordon is Harris' NSA as vice president. He is likely to move up with her if she moves up. Tom Donilon, Obama's NSA, is also a possibility, as is Rahm Emanuel, currently ambassador to Japan.
  
  
• Press Secretary: Harris' senior campaign adviser for communications Brian Fallon would be a good fit. He used to work for Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Hillary Clinton's campaign, and the DoJ, so he knows the ropes well.
  
  
• Communications Director: Lily Adams, currently assistant secretary for public affairs at treasury, and formerly Harris' communications director, is a likely choice.
  

Some other people who might get some high-level job include Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI). For Whitmer, having a high-profile government job of any kind would help her C.V. and keep her in the news until 2032, when she could run for president. If Harris would like to be succeeded by another woman, giving Whitmer a high-profile job would be a no-brainer.

Harris moved up the ranks from assistant D.A. in Alameda County to D.A. in San Francisco, to California AG, to U.S. senator, to vice president. Look for people who also worked their way up. Don't expect people like Rex Tillerson, who Donald Trump picked to be secretary of state while he was running an oil company and who had no real diplomatic experience. Expect people who have worked one or two levels below their new job and who have earned a promotion.

In any event, it is sure to be a younger and more diverse cabinet if the Democrats control the Senate. With a Republican Senate, Harris might have to compromise much more than she would like. (V)