Rep. Barbara Lee expresses interest in leading HUD if Harris becomes president

Rep. Barbara Lee (D), a member of the U.S. House of Representatives who serves California’s 12th Congressional district in the Oakland area, has signaled that she is interested in the role of secretary at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) if Vice President Kamala Harris is victorious in next week’s presidential election.

Lee, who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination to succeed the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, signaled her interest in leading HUD in an interview with Politico.

“I’ve talked with organizations, and individuals, just about getting their feedback on these proposals — and people have been very excited,” Lee, 78, told the outlet. “People are very pleased that [Harris] has put forth this housing agenda; people have input and ideas.”

She tempered the discussion somewhat by saying she remains focused on helping Harris secure the presidency.

“Let’s get past Nov. 5 first,” Lee said. “I’m excited about what she’s doing, I think that I know these issues — and naturally, I would be interested in working with her administration on these issues.”

Lee and Harris have a long history together as both hail from the Bay Area in California. Lee was also the first member of Congress to endorse Harris for president — in 2019, when Harris first sought the Democratic nomination before ultimately being named Joe Biden’s running mate.

Lee served as co-chair of Harris’ first run for the presidency, and both served in the Congressional Black Caucus while Harris was a senator. Lee added that Harris could find “new, creative ways” to boost housing supply across the country when compared to the efforts of the Biden administration.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D), who ultimately won the U.S. Senate Democratic primary and will seek to succeed Feinstein, said that Lee would be “an excellent choice in the Cabinet” since she has “the experience needed to serve on day one,” he told Politico.

Lee has a reputation for being able to navigate bipartisan relationships without alienating more conservative colleagues with progressive politics, according to Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.).

Politico sought comment from Harris’ transition team, but they did not reply to the overture.

Should Harris be victorious next week, she will have some unique choices to make when building her cabinet. While some continuity with the Biden administration would be expected, that may not extend to personnel in some positions.

Adrianne Todman is currently serving as acting secretary of HUD and could be nominated for full Senate confirmation, but Harris could also aim to signal a cleaner break with the current administration.

When asked about potential Cabinet picks, Harris typically demurs, advising reporters and the public to wait until the election results are tabulated to see if these will be decisions she has to make.