A well-respected national security blog has named four people with New England ties as candidates for secretary of Homeland Security in a Hillary Clinton administration, should she win the election.
The Security Brief blog mentions WGBH News contributor Juliette Kayyem, host of the Security Mom podcast, as a possible pick for the job. Kayyem served as assistant secretary of Homeland Security under President Barack Obama and as Massachusetts Homeland Security adviser under Gov. Deval Patrick. Kayyem also ran for governor of Massachusetts in 2014.
In a move that underscored Kayyem's national reputation, a Clinton campaign official confirmed that Kayyem will meet with Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton Friday at the New York Historical Society for a "working session" of security experts. Former Armed Forces Commander and CIA director David Petraeus, and former directors of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Michael Chertoff will be among the attendees.
Rich Cooper, the author of The Security Brief post and a former Homeland Security official, called Kayyem a "name and thought leader on the rise and who garners a lot of respect from people on both sides of the political aisles."
"Politically savvy, thoughtful and an exceptional communicator, she also brings a common, practical and human touch to homeland issues," Cooper wrote.
Also on the list are former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, head of the BPD during the Boston Marathon bombing; former Boston Police Commissioner William Bratton, who recently announced his resignation as New York Police Commissioner; and U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin of Rhode Island, who the post notes is an expert on cybersecurity.
