Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who twice unsuccessfully ran for the Republican presidential nomination, is the leading candidate to be secretary of energy, according to Bloomberg report.
More from Bloomberg:
People familiar with the president-elect’s selection process said two Democratic senators from energy-producing states — Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Manchin of West Virginia — are also in the mix, along with Ray Washburne, a Dallas investor and former chairman of the Republican National Committee.
According to Bloomberg, if Trump were to pick any of the leading candidates, he would break with Energy Department tradition, which is normally headed by a scientist.
Trump met with Perry on Saturday during the annual Army-Navy college football game. While there, he also met with Washburn. He also plans to meet Heitkamp and Manchin again in the near future.
Under President Barack Obama, two scientists have headed the Energy Department. Currently the energy secretary is Ernest Moniz, a nuclear physicist from MIT. Previously, the incumbent was Steven Chu, a professor of physics and molecular and cellular biology.
Ironically, the Energy Department is the department that Perry famously — or infamously — forgot during a 2011 Republican primary debate when he was listing the departments he would discontinue as president.
Chris Enloe
Staff Writer
