WASHINGTON — A Trump transition team member confirmed that Kansas Republican Rep. Tim Huelskamp is being considered for Secretary of the Department of Agriculture.
According to KWCH, Trump transition team member Alan Cobb told an audience at Wichita State University Thursday that Huelskamp is a good choice for the job and provides experience in agriculture. Cobb, however, did not say when President-elect-Donald Trump would choose a secretary.
Huelskamp, an outgoing congressman who was defeated in the primaries this election cycle, told The Daily Caller Wednesday he was about to submit his resume to Trump team who is currently congregating at Trump’s New York office in Trump Tower every day.
“I’m certainly not an establishment guy, but I think I have the type of policy experience and I’m outside the establishment that fits in with what Donald Trump said he wanted to do in the campaign,” Huelskamp said, later adding that the agency has not had a farmer, like himself, in charge of it in 25 years.
The outspoken Republican supported Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in the primaries but later went on to support Trump in the general. Huelskamp, though, may have competition from a fellow Kansas Republican for the job as Gov. Sam Brownback is also rumored to be in contention for post, The Topeka Capital-Journal reports.
The Capital Journal also notes that there’s a precedent for a Kansas U.S. representative defeated in a reelection battle and later becoming U.S. agriculture secretary. Democratic congressman Dan Glickman lost his seat to Republican Todd Tiahrt in 1994 but was later appointed to agricultural secretary by Bill Clinton.