Biden selects Gina Raimondo for Commerce chief: reports

President-elect Joe Biden has tapped Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo to serve as his Commerce secretary, multiple outlets reported Thursday.

Raimondo, 49, has served as Rhode Island governor since 2015 and before that was the general treasurer of the state. She is the first woman to be governor of the state.

Her background is in venture capital before public service. She previously co-founded venture capital firm Point Judith Capital in Rhode Island and before that worked as senior vice president for venture capital firm Village Ventures.

The next Commerce secretary will be tasked with managing trade policy following the Trump administration’s reliance on tariffs and the U.S. relationship with China and institutions like the World Trade Organization. 

If confirmed, Raimondo would inherit an agency that was headed by current Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. Ross stirred some controversy after he attempted to add a citizenship question to the Census and suggested at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic that it would actually be good for U.S. economic growth. 

Raimondo was national co-chair for former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s presidential bid and endorsed Biden once Bloomberg dropped out of the primary. 

“I am thrilled actually that the vice president had such a great day yesterday. As far as I am concerned, we have to get behind Joe Biden and make sure he is the next president. That is what I plan on doing,” she said at the time. 

Raimondo’s name was floated to lead the Health and Human Services Department, but Biden announced he would nominate California Attorney General Xavier Becerra for the role in December. 

Two notable businesswomen, Meg Whitman and Mellody Hobson, were also floated as possible nominees, with some suggesting Biden could choose a Republican for the role.

The Hill has reached out to the Biden transition team for confirmation.

Updated 3:10 p.m.