Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is expanding his transition team with senior campaign aides, vice presidential contenders and a former primary rival, two months before he faces President Donald Trump in the general election.
Biden added four co-chairs to help former Delaware Sen. Ted Kaufman oversee the effort. They include Anita Dunn, a senior adviser to the campaign; Rep. Cedric Richmond, a national co-chair of the campaign; New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who was vetted as a potential running mate; and Jeffrey Zients, a top economic adviser to President Barack Obama.
"We are preparing for this transition amid the backdrop of a global health crisis and struggling economy," Kaufman said in a statement. "This is a transition like no other, and the team being assembled will help Joe Biden meet the urgent challenges facing our country on day one."
The transition team is responsible for laying the groundwork for a potential Biden administration, including identifying people for cabinet roles and planning for the implementation of key policy goals.
Biden also announced the creation of a 15-person advisory board which includes former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who also ran for the Democratic nomination; former Obama National Security Adviser Susan Rice; former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates; Jared Bernstein, a longtime Biden economic adviser; and Dr. Vivek Murthy; former U.S. surgeon general.
The board also includes Felicia Wong, the president of the Roosevelt Institute, a progressive economic think tank; Bob McDonald, retired chairman of Procter & Gamble Co.; Lonnie Stephenson, international president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; and Minyon Moore, a long-time adviser to Hillary Clinton.
"The co-chairs, advisory board, and senior staff are a diverse group of experts who are committed to helping a possible Biden-Harris administration beat the public health crisis and put Americans back to work in good-paying jobs," Kaufman said.
The transition team added additional senior staff including Cynthia Hogan, a former Apple Inc. executive who co-chaired the vice presidential search committee; and Don Graves, an executive at Ohio's KeyBank and longtime Biden adviser.
Biden previously announced the formation of the transition team, the day-to-day operations of which are being overseen by Yohannes Abraham, a top aide to senior adviser Valerie Jarrettin the Obama White House.
