Biden taps Milwaukee mayor as ambassador to Luxembourg

President Biden on Wednesday tapped Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett to serve as ambassador to Luxembourg, rewarding the leader of the largest city in a key swing state with a diplomatic role in his administration.

The White House announced Barrett’s selection in a press release, touting him as “the nation’s longest-serving big city mayor.” He has served in the role since he was first elected in 2004.

The administration also highlighted his work on climate initiatives as well as his time as a representative in the House and state legislature.

If confirmed, Barrett would serve as Biden’s envoy in a country of roughly 600,000 people situated between Belgium, France and Germany.

Barrett endorsed Biden for president in April 2020, and he is the latest political ally to receive an ambassadorship. Milwaukee was slated to host the Democratic National Convention last summer, but the event was held virtually instead amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Wisconsin is a pivotal swing state, and Biden carried it in 2020 by nearly 21,000 votes after former President Trump won it in the 2016 election.

The White House on Wednesday also announced Biden would nominate Carla Koppell as assistant administrator for development, democracy and innovation at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Koppell previously worked at USAID as its chief strategy officer and its senior coordinator for gender equality and women’s empowerment.