Know what Kamala Harris’s cabinet could be like after winning the presidential election

US: Vice President Kamala Harris will have to choose whether or not to utilize her Cabinet to set herself apart from the Biden administration if she wins former President Donald Trump in what is anticipated to be a tight presidential election.

Politics professor Jeremy Walling of Southeast Missouri State University said, “Given the circumstances of how Kamala Harris became the nominee—given that she stepped up to continue the campaign started by Biden—one strategy might be to signal some measure of continuity to any voters who have heartburn over the process that led to Biden stepping aside.”

In light of this, I think it’s important to keep some of Biden’s cabinet members on board, especially Pete Buttigieg and Antony Blinken, who are generally seen as capable and useful.

“Having said that, Harris is keen to set herself apart from Biden and convey that this isn’t a case of “same news, new day.” I anticipate a significant amount of churn inside the Harris Cabinet.”

Despite the fact that Buttigieg and Harris are rivals for the 2020 Democratic primary, it is thought that Buttigieg was taken into consideration when Harris was selecting her running partner.

Buttigieg is a plausible choice for a Harris Cabinet, according to a number of academics, including Western Carolina University political science and public affairs professor Christopher A. Cooper.

“I do expect to see a new cabinet, although I doubt [Harris] will start completely from scratch,” Cooper said. “Pete Buttigieg, for example, has been a reliable Harris surrogate, and I expect that he would be rewarded—either with another term as secretary of transportation or perhaps promotion to a more prominent Cabinet position and department.”

However, both academics noted that although Buttigieg may remain in Biden’s administration, there might be more to take into account in regards to Blinken, another significant figure in the present Cabinet.

As Biden’s secretary of state, Blinken is well-respected abroad and doesn’t often make news.

Nonetheless, “foreign/defense policy is an area of clear distinction between Harris and Biden,” Walling said. “The desire to highlight the differentiation between her campaign and Biden’s might make it less likely that she’d retain someone like Blinken.”

Harris could also attempt to differentiate herself from Biden by putting together a “younger, diverse group,” according to Walling.

“Youth makes sense given Biden’s age and debate performance,” he said. “Youth is associated with vitality and energy, but it also comes with a loss of experience and knowledge.

“Biden’s Cabinet was already one of the most varied ever in terms of composition. Harris is likely to carry on that pattern.

Despite her popularity in the party, Cooper said that Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) of New York would not likely be part of a younger Cabinet.

“The Republicans will likely regain the United States Senate, so Harris’ picks may be somewhat constrained,” he said. “I wouldn’t expect to see an AOC get the nod given the likely difficulties of the nomination process.”

A similar concern was raised by Professor Rosalyn Cooperman, head of the University of Mary Washington’s Department of Political Science and International Affairs.

“As Cabinet positions are executive appointments that must be confirmed by the Senate, nominees will also have to be confirmable,” she said.

“The calculus of who is confirmable will change slightly depending on whether Democrats maintain party majority of the Senate or if Harris administration nominees will be considered by a Republican-majority Senate.”

Cooper also mentioned Senator Alex Padilla of California and Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina.

It follows Harris’ announcement last month on a media report that she would choose a Republican to the Cabinet.

This would be in line with the lengthy history of bipartisan rule in American politics. Democratic nominee for secretary of transportation Norman Mineta was chosen by President George W. Bush, while Republican Robert Gates was kept on as secretary of defense by President Barack Obama.

“Given Vice President Harris’ repeated assertion that she seeks to represent all Americans and bridge divides between the parties, she may make good on that promise by nominating a Republican to serve in her Cabinet,” Cooperman said.

She continued by saying that Harris will basically choose “people she believes in and who will contribute to the advancement of the administration’s policy priorities.”

In a similar vein, Walling stated: “In the end, I believe that offering a diverse group of qualified candidates is more significant than the names themselves.

“First and foremost, Walling said that Harris must put up a group that would provide accurate information and guidance. “Secondarily, she probably wants to send a message to citizens that this team will be competent and effective.”