Californians who could end up in Biden’s cabinet

Kamala Harris likely isn’t the only Californian headed to a top post at the White House.

As President- elect Joe Biden begins to put together his Cabinet, there are reportedly a number of people from the Golden State in the running to be part of the new administration who will help him make key decisions on everything from foreign policy to health care.

From Meg Whitman, the former eBay CEO and Republican candidate for governor, to sitting California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, the Biden administration is reportedly considering some names that will be recognizable to those who have been following local politics for awhile. It’s worth noting that Silicon Valley served as a major source of funds for the Biden campaign.

According to Politico, Becerra — whose office has sued the Trump administration over policy clashes more than 100 times — is a potential contender to lead the Justice Department, which would essentially be the federal equivalent of his current role. His name has also surfaced as running the Department of Homeland Security, the agency that oversees customs and immigration.

Biden has said he wants to restore protections for Dreamers, young people brought to the country illegally as children, and work to reunify children and parents separated at the border by the Trump administration, efforts in line with Becerra’s views on immigration.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is a frontrunner for leading the Transportation Department, Politico reported, noting that he endorsed Biden back in January when the former vice president’s prospects weren’t looking good.

Meg Whitman, whose startup Quibi just folded, is reportedly a frontrunner for managing the Commerce Department. The choice likely wouldn’t go over well with the most progressive wing of the Democratic Party, but appointing the former Republican candidate for California governor would be a way for Biden to reach across the aisle. Julie Su, the sitting secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, could find herself running the Labor Department, according to Politico, although there is also talk of choosing Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Los Angeles Democrat Karen Bass, who was on Biden’s list of prospective running mates before he chose Harris, could be tapped to run the Department of Housing and Urban Development, while Linda Darling-Hammond, a professor emeritus at Stanford and head of Palo Alto’s Learning Policy Institute, has been discussed as a possibility to run the Education Department.