Former presidential hopeful and South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg has been tapped to head up the Department of Transportation under the Joe Biden administration, President-elect Joe Biden confirmed Tuesday night. The post would be the 38-year-old Buttigieg’s first federal position should he be confirmed by the Senate to replace Elaine Chao, who assumed office Jan. 31, 2017.
Buttigieg ran against President-elect Biden in the Democratic primary and won the first caucus in Iowa before dropping out of the race and endorsing Biden.
Mayor @PeteButtigieg is a leader, patriot, and problem-solver. He speaks to the best of who we are as a nation.
I am nominating him for Secretary of Transportation because he's equipped to take on the challenges at the intersection of jobs, infrastructure, equity, and climate.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 16, 2020
“Innovation in transportation helped build my hometown, and it propels our country,” Buttigieg tweeted Tuesday night in response to his formal nomination. “Now is the time to build back better through modern and sustainable infrastructure that creates millions of good-paying union jobs, revitalizes communities, and empowers all Americans to thrive.”
