Pete Buttigieg Would Be First Openly Gay Cabinet Secretary

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• On Wednesday, president-elect Joe Biden confirmed that he would assign the mayor of  South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg, to lead the Department of Transportation.
• Once confirmed, Buttigieg will be the first openly gay official who will serve in a cabinet post with that level.
• Buttigieg was a rival of the president-elect during the Democrat primaries, but he turned up to support Biden’s campaign after leaving the race in March.

Former presidential contender and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who became prominent when he ran as the 2020 presidential nominee, is the choice of Joe Biden for the transportation secretary post, as announced by the incoming president on Tuesday. 

The 38-year-old Buttigieg was a former  U.S. Navy officer, who, in 2015,  admitted that he was gay. If Biden’s choice is final, the ex-mayor would be the first acquiescently LGBTQ Cabinet official in the history of the U.S.

While the acting director of national intelligence, Richard Grenell, President Donald Trump’s choice to head the agency for a few months this year, was the first official to openly admit his gender preference who held a Cabinet-level post, his job was on a temporary status.

During his announcement, Biden said that his former challenger for the presidential nomination in the Democrat party “is a leader, a patriot, and a problem-solver.”

In the same statement, Biden added that Buttigieg would be fit for the role of Secretary of Transportation because he’s well versed to face the difficulties in the infrastructure,  at the intersection of jobs, climate, and equity.

Buttigieg said on Twitter that he’s honored to be part of Biden’s administration as the Secretary of Transportation, adding that he’s ready for the challenge and opportunity.

The partner of Buttigieg, Chasten, tweeted that he was delighted for his husband’s nomination.

The former mayor first confirmed the nomination on Wednesday following a proper introduction from President-elect Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris.

Buttigieg received a warm reception during the primaries under the Democratic party early this year. He won the caucuses in Iowa by a small margin and was second in rank in the primaries in New Hampshire.

His campaign was as not as successful in the succeeding contests before eventually leaving the race by March. Buttigieg then expressed his support for Biden’s bid.

Once Buttigieg assumes the role of a transportation secretary, he is to supervise mass transit, railroads, and the airline industry that suffered amidst the COVID-18 pandemic.

Though the former U.S Navy officer did not have experience leading an agency with that size, Buttigieg showed a $1 trillion groundwork plan consisting a $150 billion funding in public transportation and expansions to the national rail system during his race for the presidential nomination.

He also cited his transportation guidelines when he was still serving as a mayor of South Bend, which is home to around 100,000 residents.

Source: People