Biden Selects Vilsack As Next Agriculture Secretary Nominee

WASHINGTON, DC – As President-Elect Joe Biden prepares to take office next month, his transition team is working to identify and name nominees to key posts in his administration.

Though there have been a handful of names tossed around as potential successors to current Secretary Sonny Perdue, one name has emerged as the next nominee and potentially the only Secretary to serve twice.

Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, who turns 70 on Sunday, appears to be in line to be both the 30th and 32nd Secretary of Agriculture.

Vilsack is currently the President and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council and would need only to serve 7 days as the head of USDA to become the second-longest serving Ag Secretary in U.S. history, behind James Wilson (also of Iowa) who served 16 years under Presidents’ McKinley, (Teddy) Roosevelt, and Taft from 1897 to 1913.

Other names that had been mentioned included former Senator Heidi Heitkamp (ND), current Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee Rep. Collin Peterson (MN), and Rep. Marcia Fudge (OH) – who has just been named as the nominee to Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
(SOURCE: All Ag News)