Biden taps El Paso native for deputy cabinet secretary post

WASHINGTON, DC -- An El Paso native with deep roots in Democratic politics was tapped by President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday to serve as deputy cabinet secretary, a role that handles White House coordination with federal agencies.

Cristóbal J. Alex will now transition to the White House from the presidential campaign team, where he served as a senior adviser to Biden and was one of the campaign's first hires.

“Working for President-elect Joe Biden on the campaign was the honor of a lifetime. I’m humbled by this appointment," Alex said in Twitter post.

He was among seven appointments made Tuesday by Biden.

“Our nation is facing urgent challenges, and we are building a team that will be ready to tackle them on day one. In addition to working with organizations and communities, these accomplished public servants sit at the forefront of collaboration across the administration,” Biden said in a statement.

Alex, a former civil rights attorney for the firm MacDonald Hoague & Bayless, was a founder of the Latino Victory Fund political action committee. He had also served as one of the heads of voter outreach on Hillary Clinton's failed presidential bid four years ago.

Before entering the political realm, Alex served in various capacities at a variety of foundations and was the director of the National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights.

The Andress High School graduate, who received his law degree from the University of Washington, is the son of immigrant parents who settled in El Paso.

"My immigrant father couldn’t make it to Election Day, but I know he is watching and proud of our country and his son,” Alex said in his tweet, referencing his father Holger Alex, who died in November of 2019.