Will Marty Walsh Be Joe Biden's Labor Secretary? Mayor Says He's Focused On Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Speculation continues over whether Boston Mayor Marty Walsh will be joining President-Elect Joe Biden's cabinet in Washington, D.C. Since the November election, there have been reports about Walsh being on Biden's shortlist for Labor Secretary.
A Politico report in late December said Biden "definitely wants Marty Walsh" for the position. But Biden is also said to be sensitive to diversity concerns, with The Boston Globe reporting Monday that Democrats are pushing him to nominate an Asian American or Pacific Islander instead.
Walsh, a longtime union leader and Biden ally, addressed the rumors at a news conference on Tuesday.
"What I've been focused on quite honestly in the last nine months, in particular the last five days, is focusing on COVID-19 in the city of Boston," Walsh said. "I'm going to stay focused on that."
Walsh is up for re-election as mayor this year, and hasn't officially jumped into the race. He would be challenged by City Councilors Michelle Wu and Andrea Campbell.
Boston has seen a steady rise in coronavirus cases over the past two months, and Walsh on Tuesday announced the city will continue its pause on reopening for at least three more weeks.
"I am focused on getting these numbers down. I'm focused on getting Boston through the pandemic," Walsh said. "I love being Mayor of Boston."
A reporter asked Walsh directly if he'd be interested in becoming Labor Secretary if Biden offered him the job.
"I don't want to speculate on something like that," Walsh said.