Hillary Clinton, with 9-Point Lead in New Poll, Steps Up Transition Planning for Taking Over the White House

staff@people.com (Tierney McAfee)
Updated
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If Hillary Clinton wins the White House in November, she'll be ready.

As a national poll from NBC News showed Clinton leading rival Donald Trump by 9 points, the Democratic nominee's campaign sent out an email on Tuesday announcing the leaders of her new transition team.

The group will be led by former Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar, who previously served as President Barack Obama's secretary of the interior. Longtime Clinton aides Maggie Williams and Neera Tanden will serve as co-chairs of the group – which will be based out of Washington, D.C. – alongside former National Security Adviser Tom Donilon and former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

"We are extremely pleased that such an accomplished group of public servants has agreed to lead the transition planning for a potential Clinton-Kaine administration," Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said in a statement. "While our campaign remains focused on the task at hand of winning in November, Hillary Clinton wants to be able to get to work right away as President-elect on building an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top. These individuals, who bring a deep level of experience in the work of presidential transitions, will help us build a team that is ready to govern after the general election."



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"Once Hillary Clinton makes history by being elected as the nation's first woman President, we want to have a turnkey operation in place so she can hit the ground running right away," Salazar said. "A Clinton-Kaine administration will build on the progress we've made under President Obama, and tackle a new set of challenges both at home and abroad. This transition team will undertake the preparations necessary to ensure our next President has the resources and staff to carry out this all-important work."

According to Politico, the group's responsibilities will include working with Clinton to create a list of potential candidates for cabinet secretaries and other positions throughout the administration, as well as identifying policy priorities for a potential Clinton administration.

Trump is also expected to put together a transition team ahead of the election. He appointed New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as his transition chairman in May.