Joe Biden picks Pete Buttigieg for transport secretary making him the first openly gay cabinet member in US history

JOE Biden has picked Pete Buttigieg for transport secretary, making him the first openly gay cabinet member in US history.

The President-elect hailed the ex-mayor as a “leader, patriot, and problem-solver. He speaks to the best of who we are as a nation”.

, 78, has compared Buttigieg to his late son, Beau.

“To me it’s the highest compliment I can give any man or woman.

“And, like Beau, he has a backbone like a ramrod,” Biden said in March.

“I promise you, over your lifetime, you’re going to end up seeing a hell of a lot more of Pete than you are of me.”

He’s been married to Chasten, 31, – a teacher and writer – for two years, after they matched on the dating app Hinge.

“Literally, there were fireworks on our first date,” Chasten told The New York Times.

“It was kind of ridiculous, I know, but I was hooked.”

Biden tweeted yesterday: “I am nominating him for Secretary of Transportation because he’s equipped to take on the challenges at the intersection of jobs, infrastructure, equity, and climate.”

One day after the affirmed Biden’s victory, he announced he had nominated Buttigieg, the former South Bend, Indiana mayor and presidential rival in the run-up to the election,

, 38, would be the first openly gay person confirmed by the Senate to a presidential cabinet post.

He’s also the first of Biden’s Democratic rivals for the to land a role in his Cabinet.

His appointment would be in line with Biden’s pledge to usher in the most diverse cabinet ever when he takes office on January 20.

Buttigieg tweeted in response: “This is a moment of tremendous opportunity – to create jobs, meet the climate challenge, and enhance equity for all.

“I’m honored that the President-elect has asked me to serve our nation as Secretary of Transportation.”

If his appointment is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, he would run a sprawling federal agency that oversees the nation’s airlines, highways and transit systems.

“I am nominating him for Secretary of Transportation because this position stands at the nexus of so many of the interlocking challenges and opportunities ahead of us,” Biden said in a statement.

He added: “Jobs, infrastructure, equity, and climate all come together at the DOT, the site of some of our most ambitious plans to build back better.”

Buttigieg had been rumored for several different spots in Biden’s administration.

He was surprisingly competitive during the Democratic Party presidential race, winning the first-in-the-nation caucuses in Iowa, showing formidable fundraising might and enjoying massive popularity on social media.

The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest advocacy group for the LGBTQ community, praised the nomination, saying Buttigieg “was open and honest” about his identity.

“His voice as a champion for the LGBTQ community in the Cabinet room will help Biden build back our nation better, stronger and more equal than before,” Alphonso David, the group’s president, said.

But, while he’s treated as a rising star within the Democratic party, Buttigieg’s nomination to a Cabinet post has been opposed by progressive groups and black leaders.

They’ve criticized his record on civil rights.

During the Democratic contest, Buttigieg faced attacks from African-American activists, who argued he failed to do enough as mayor to battle systemic racism in South Bend.

He was also accused of not doing enough to help black residents share in the city’s economic revitalization.

Plus, Buttigieg was also slammed over the shooting death of a black man by a white police officer in South Bend.

There was a furore, too, over diversity on the city’s police force.

The top transportation job offers him a chance to challenge the nation’s history of building highways through disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Buttigieg’s decisions will also obviously have an impact on the social, economic and environmental consequences of doing so.