Biden has chosen Tom Vilsack, who previously served as the secretary of agriculture under Barack Obama, to lead that department again, according to sources familiar with the president-elect's decisions. Vilsack, a former governor of Iowa, is the seventh member of Biden's Cabinet to be selected. If Fudge is confirmed by the Senate, she would join other diverse picks like Gen. Lloyd Austin and Xavier Becerra in fulfilling Biden's goal of creating an administration that reflects the diversity of America. However, Biden is facing pressure from various groups and lawmakers with differing opinions on how to achieve this goal. The selection of key positions has become a complex puzzle for Biden and his team as they seek qualified candidates who align with the president-elect and contribute to a diverse administration. Supporters of Fudge, including Rep. James Clyburn, have advocated for her to lead the Agriculture Department and focus on addressing hunger in addition to farming. Biden ultimately chose Vilsack, who is white and from a significant rural farming state, instead of Fudge, who some advocacy groups believe would be a more traditional choice for a Black secretary at HUD. This decision may disappoint those who were advocating for Fudge, including members of the Congressional Black Caucus. The current housing secretary, Ben Carson, is also Black. Following Biden's announcement of Austin as defense secretary, a group of Black civil rights activists called on him to nominate a Black attorney general and prioritize civil rights issues, as he had promised during his campaign. In an interview on Tuesday, civil rights leader and talk show host Al Sharpton discussed meeting with President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Sharpton mentioned that Biden had made specific commitments when they met in Houston before Sharpton delivered the eulogy for George Floyd, and now he is waiting to see if those promises will be kept. Biden is considering several candidates to lead the Justice Department, including Sen. Doug Jones, Sally Yates, and Judge Merrick Garland. However, Jeh Johnson, a Black individual who served as Obama's secretary of homeland security, has removed himself from consideration for the position of attorney general. In a recent interview with CNN, Biden acknowledged that advocacy groups are constantly pushing for their interests, which he sees as part of their role. He defended his Cabinet picks as the most diverse in American history. However, advocates are not taking any chances and are actively making their case. A meeting between the president-elect, vice president-elect, Sharpton, and other civil rights leaders lasted nearly two hours and allowed them to advocate for their priorities. Sharpton emphasized the need for an attorney general with a civil rights background to counter the previous administration's racism and bigotry. Derrick Johnson of the NAACP urged Biden to create a civil rights envoy position reporting directly to the president, similar to the climate envoy, John Kerry. “We believe that there should be a national adviser on racial justice with a similar role.” During the Democratic primary season, Biden benefitted from Sharpton’s decision to remain neutral instead of endorsing Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. During the general election campaign, Harris received support from Sharpton when he advocated for a Black woman on the ticket in general, rather than publicly endorsing Stacey Abrams, as he had planned to do. This has given Sharpton some influence with the Biden-Harris transition team as they select members for the administration. Additionally, a group of over 1,000 high-profile Black women expressed concern to Biden about the lack of Black women being considered for top positions in his administration and urged him to improve this. The letter from Black women emphasized the need to recognize and consider the accomplished leadership of Black women in important policy areas for Cabinet positions. Fudge, recommended by the women and a potential agriculture secretary candidate, expressed her willingness to serve in any capacity to help the president. Initially considering a challenge to Speaker Pelosi in 2018, Fudge changed her mind after being given a key role in protecting voting rights and assurances of Black women having a voice in decision-making. She will now head the housing agency. The departure of Marcia Fudge will create another challenge for the Democratic Party, as they work to maintain their slim majority in the House of Representatives. President Biden's choice to appoint Cedric Richmond as a senior adviser already required the party to defend his seat, and now they must also win a special election to fill Fudge's seat in the House.