AUSTIN (KXAN) — President-elect Joe Biden is forming his team before returning to the White House in January. Will any Texans make the cut?

While the election results in Texas were an overall disappointment for Democrats—Republicans maintained control of the state House and didn’t lose any congressional seats. Biden finished less than six percent of the vote behind President Trump in the state, the slimmest margin in decades.

Here are some big-name Texans and whether political experts believe they’ll wind up in the Biden Administration:

Beto O’Rourke

Former congressman and presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke is one of the most prominent Democrats in Texas and is thought to be considering a challenge to Gov. Greg Abbott in 2022. His voter registration organization, Powered By People, contacted millions of voters during the 2020 presidential election cycle.

O’Rourke’s former campaign manager, Jen O’Malley Dillon, managed Biden’s successful presidential campaign.

Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston, doesn’t see O’Rourke playing a role in the Biden Administration.

“I think that Beto O’Rouke brings a little bit too much voltage to a job like that, those jobs are bureaucratic jobs,” Rottinghaus said. “I think what Texas Democrats want, and frankly need, is to have O’Rourke on the ground stirring things up.”

A representative for O’Rourke confirmed to KXAN on Monday he has not been in conversations about a role with the Biden Administration.

Lina Hidalgo

No star has risen faster in Democratic party politics in Texas than that of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. Despite her meteoric rise, Bill Miller, a veteran lobbyist in Austin, sees Hidalgo as an unlikely fit with the Biden administration.

“She’s a rising star, and it would be a mistake to pick her and would be a mistake for her to accept it,” Miller said. “She should be on the list to be discussed but if she chose to do that I think it would be a mistake on her part.”

Julian and Joaquin Castro

The brotherly tandem of Julian and Rep. Joaquin Castro was incredibly visible during the 2020 election cycle. Julian Castro is the former San Antonio mayor and secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development under President Obama. Rep. Joaquin Castro has served Texas 20th Congressional District in the U.S. House since 2013.

“I think Julian is someone who gets a high-level ambassadorship,” said Ed Espinoza, the executive director of Progress Texas. “I don’t know where (Joaquin Castro) would fit, but I do think that he would certainly be someone who would be an attractive name for them.”

Julian Castro told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Sunday he has not had any conversations about a role in the Biden administration.

“I haven’t taken anything off the table and I haven’t put anything on the table,” he said.
A spokesperson for Rep. Joaquin Castro said: “Congressman Joaquin Castro is proud to serve the people of San Antonio, Texas, in the U.S. House of Representatives and is working with the Biden-Harris presidential transition to create the most diverse administration in American history.”

The spokesperson did not elaborate as to whether Joaquin Castro is being considered for a position within the administration.

Rep. Filemon Vela

Rep. Filemon Vela of Texas’ 34th Congressional District was an early supporter of Biden’s campaign, at a time when Biden was locked in a difficult primary battle and is thought to be one of the most likely options for a senior-level position within the incoming administration.

Rottinghaus sees Vela as an option to lead the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development or Health and Human Services.

“Biden needs to be able to shore up support with Latinos in Texas,” Rottinghaus said. “They have underperformed dramatically from where they were in 2016. To appoint someone of prominence to the cabinet that is from the (Rio Grande Valley) would be a very good sign for them.”

Vela’s staff did not respond to a request for comment.

Admiral William McRaven (Ret.)

Adm. William McRaven (Ret.) oversaw the raid that killed Osama bin Laden and was the chancellor of the University of Texas System from 2015-18. He joined several other former U.S. military leaders in endorsing Biden in October.

“That’s a guy that’s making a fortune making speeches, living a life that he enjoys,” Miller, the lobbyist, said. “I guess if you asked if he wants to run the CIA it would be hard to say no for sure but it would have to be a top tier deal, not a secondary or midlevel cabinet position.”

“I could see him somewhere. I don’t know where but I think I could,” Espinoza of Progress Texas added, saying McRaven could be a fit to lead the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs.

McRaven did not respond to a request for comment.

Rep. Marc Veasey

Rep. Marc Veasey has served Texas’ 33rd Congressional District, which includes Fort Worth since it was formed in 2013. Veasey was an early support of Biden and became the 9th Black member of Congress to endorse Biden’s campaign during the primary election.

Espinoza of Progress Texas sees Veasey as a likely fit within the Biden Administration.
“African-Americans were a real big boost to Biden during the primaries,” he said.

Rottinghaus of the University of Houston believes Veasey is a tier-one candidate for a cabinet position like HUD secretary.

“He’s somebody who definitely has the policy chops to make that work and he’s somebody who is well-known and well-liked,” Rottinghaus said.