Nine new nominations were made in just over an hour, marking the weekend for President-elect Donald Trump, including the naming of two more North Texans.
Scott Turner was nominated for secretary of U.S. Housing and Urban Development and Brooke Rollins was nominated to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
On Monday, Collin County GOP chairman Shelby Williams said that he’s especially pleased with Turner's nomination.
“You know, many of us around here know Scott, and we're very excited for him for this opportunity,” Williams said. “It's good to have somebody in these important positions who do understand the needs of Texans whereas we haven't always had that.”
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The Richardson native and former NFL player was tapped to lead HUD and worked in the same department in Trump’s first administration. The 52-year-old is also an associate pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano.
Senior Pastor Jack Graham told NBC 5 in a statement that Turner has “impeccable integrity” and his “leadership skills are off the charts.”
“Scott Turner is perfect for his new calling in that he loves people and has innovative ideas as to how to elevate local communities and bless America with compassionate conservatism,” Graham said.
Turner joins former Congressman John Ratcliffe, who was nominated to head the CIA, and Brooke Rollins of Glen Rose, who was nominated to lead the Department of Agriculture, as prospective cabinet members with North Texas ties.
Matthew Wilson, an SMU political science professor, said that while not a high-profile cabinet position, the USDA could receive more attention in a second Trump term.
“I suppose there will likely be questions about things like big agriculture, the food industry, etc., because that will dovetail with some of the concerns that Robert F. Kennedy and others on the health side have made,” Wilson said. “And that's how Agriculture kind of plays into that whole picture.”
