When President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January, he is likely to have an Agriculture Secretary with ties to Indiana.
Indiana Governor Mike Pence, who will serve as Trump’s Vice President, is overseeing the transition efforts, and Politico reports that Pence will have a lot of say in who gets control of the Department of Agriculture.
Five of the nine names among the top potential picks for Agriculture Secretary are from Indiana either by birth or business connections, and most have ties to Pence.
The shortlist includes past president of the Indiana Farm Bureau, Don Villwock and Ted McKinney, the current director of the Indiana Department of Agriculture.
Also included on the shortlist is Chuck Conner, the president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.
Conner is a Purdue University graduate who has previously served as the Deputy USDA Secretary.
Also on the list is Mike McCloskey, a dairy executive from Indiana, and Kip Tom, a farmer who ran for Congress in Indiana this year but was defeated in the primary.
