Yahoo Finance The big contenders for Trump's Cabinet
President-elect Donald J. Trump is continuing his transition into the White House, establishing several positions in his Cabinet including Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama as attorney general.
His prospects for secretary of state are narrowing, with Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential nominee in 2012, as the top contender. Trump’s transition team appears to be trying to diversify its Cabinet, reportedly offering retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson the position of secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Carson, who’s black, ran against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination.
In August, Trump released his list of advisors for his Economic Advisory Council, some of whom might be part of his Cabinet. The list initially consisted of 14 men, but Trump later added eight women. This move was seen as an effort by Trump to deflect allegations of sexism during his campaign.
On Wednesday, he chose South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to be his ambassador to the United Nations. He has since met with other women, such as former D.C. schools chancellor, Michelle Rhee, for the position of secretary of the Department of Education. She declined the position on Tuesday.
The list below include possible candidates for some of Trump’s Cabinet positions.
Secretary of State
Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts
Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City
John Bolton, former US ambassador to the United Nations
Treasury Secretary
Steven Mnuchin, finance chair of Trump’s presidential campaign and one of Trump’s economic advisors
Jeb Hensarling, Texas Congressman
Politico reports that Trump’s team considered Blackstone Group executive Jonathan Gray for this role but that he declined.
Defense Secretary
James Mattis, retired Marine Corps general
Stephen Hadley, former national security advisor to President George W. Bush.
Attorney General
Jeff Sessions, US senator for Alabama
Interior Secretary
Forrest Lucas, an oil industry executive, who is the co-founder of Lucas Oil Products
Mary Fallin, governor of Oklahoma
Ray Washburne, Dallas investor and the vice chairman of the 2016 Trump Victory Committee
Bob Beauprez, Colorado congressman
Agriculture Secretary
Bruce Rastetter, an entrepreneur of agriculture and energy and Iowa’s biggest GOP donor
Sid Miller, Texas Department of Agriculture commissioner
Commerce Department Secretary
Wilbur Ross, billionaire investor and one of Trump’s economic advisors
Sen. David Perdue, former CEO at Reebok and Dollar General
Lew Eisenberg, finance chair, Republican National Committee
Labor Secretary
Victoria Lipnic, a commissioner of the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under the Obama administration since 2010
Andrew Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants
Health and Human Services Secretary
Thomas Price, Georgia congressman
Bobby Jindal, former governor of Louisiana
Housing and Urban Development Secretary
Ben Carson, retired neurosurgeon
Energy Secretary
Harold Hamm, an entrepreneur and CEO of Continental Resources
Rick Perry, former governor of Texas
Education Secretary
Betsy DeVos, businesswoman and education activist
The Washington Post reports that Trump’s team considered former head of D.C.’s public schools, Michelle Rhee, for this role but that she declined.
Veterans Affairs Secretary
Scott Brown, former senator of Massachusetts
Transportation Secretary
Harold Ford Jr., former representative of Tennessee as a member of the Democratic Party
Homeland Security
Kris Kobach, Kansas secretary of state
John F. Kelly, US Marine Corps general
Frances Townsend, counterterrorism and homeland security adviser to President George W. Bush
Environmental Protection Agency administrator
Myron Ebell, director of Global Warming and International Environmental Policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute
Leslie Rutledge, Arkansas attorney general
