President-elect Donald Trump is considering a former GOP lieutenant governor of California and a former USDA official from his first term to serve as his next Agriculture secretary, according to four people familiar with the transition conversations.
Abel Maldonado served as former California Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s lieutenant governor before stepping down to mount an unsuccessful run for Congress. Maldonado is the son of immigrant farmworkers, a winery owner, one-time mayor and former California state lawmaker.
Former Trump White House and USDA official Ray Starling’s name has been in the mix for some time, but his stock is rising among some Trump officials. They argue Starling is more of a mainstream pick and could reassure conservative-leaning agriculture groups that have been rattled by Trump’s decision to tap Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for HHS secretary, which gives him direct oversight of the Food and Drug Administration.
Starling served as an informal adviser to the Trump campaign on agriculture and rural issues in the closing months of the presidential race. He is also a former chief of staff to Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and served as chief of staff for Trump’s first Agriculture secretary, Sonny Perdue.
