By Simon Lewis and Jarrett Renshaw
WILMINGTON, Del. (Reuters) – Joe Biden was set to name Connecticut’s Commissioner of Education, Miguel Cardona, as his pick for U.S. Secretary of Education, as the president-elect finalizes the process of selecting a new Cabinet ahead of taking office on Jan. 20.
A source with Biden’s transition team said Biden would nominate Cardona, a veteran teacher and school administrator, a choice that would align with a pledge Biden made during his presidential campaign to appoint a teacher as Education secretary.
Cardona would also be another Latino addition to Biden’s top team, after Latino advocacy groups urged the former vice president to appoint Hispanic Americans to senior roles.
A transition spokesman told Reuters he could not confirm the appointment.
Biden was set to give an address near his home in Wilmington, Delaware, on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the Christmas holiday period.
Public health experts are advising Americans to avoid gatherings to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus, a message that Biden, who received the first dose of a vaccine against COVID-19 on Monday, has echoed.
Biden’s transition team also announced six new appointments to his White House staff on Tuesday morning.
The officials include the choice of Bruce Reed, who served as Biden’s chief of staff when he was vice president, as White House deputy chief of staff.
Positions still not filled in Biden’s administration include attorney general and director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
(Reporting by Simon Lewis in Wilmington and Jarrett Renshaw in Philadelphia; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
