Biden expected to pick Pete Buttigieg to be transportation secretary: media

WASHINGTON - US President-elect Joe Biden is expected to nominate Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, to serve as his transportation secretary, US media reported on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Buttigieg would be the first openly LGBTQ Cabinet secretary in US history should the nomination make it through in the Senate.

The transportation secretary is expected to play a central role in Biden's push for a bipartisan infrastructure package, said a CNN report.

Much of Buttigieg's presidential campaign platform rested on his plans to improve US infrastructure, specifically internet access.

After ending his campaign in the spring, Buttigieg endorsed Biden and spent much of the general election headlining fundraisers and events for the former vice president, said the report.

Prior to running for president, Buttigieg had served as the mayor of South Bend since 2012. He came out as gay in a 2015 essay for the South Bend Tribune while serving as mayor. Later that year, he won the city mayor reelection.