Trump’s Fed Chair Shortlist Just Got Way Longer Than Anyone Predicted

Trump's Fed chair selection process takes unexpected turn as candidate list expands dramatically.

Speculation mounts as names flood the potential appointment pool—far beyond initial Washington whispers.

Market watchers brace for impact as political maneuvering overtakes traditional appointment protocols. Wall Street's already placing bets—because nothing says 'sound monetary policy' like political gambling on the world's most powerful financial institution.

Bullard and Bowman stand out in Fed chair consideration

James “Jim” Bullard led the St. Louis Fed for 15 years and now is dean of Purdue’s business school.

Bowman is among three current governors in the mix. Appointed in 2018 and reappointed in 2020, she was narrowly confirmed in June as vice chair of supervision.

Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan, in the post since 2022, is an alternate on the FOMC and is slated to vote in 2026. Logan is the first woman to lead the Dallas Fed full-time and previously ran the New York Fed’s securities portfolio.

David Zervos, Jefferies’ managing director and chief market strategist since 2010, worked as a Fed economist in the 1990s and served as a visiting adviser in 2009.

Former Governor Larry Lindsey, who served from 1991 to 1997 and advised Republican administrations for decades, now runs a consulting firm.

Jefferson emerges as potential first black Fed chair

Philip Jefferson, a Biden appointee since 2022 who became vice chair about a year later, previously served as Davidson College’s vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty. A Jefferson nomination WOULD be historic: he would be the first Black chair and is only the fourth Black man to be a Fed governor.

Rick Rieder, BlackRock’s chief investment officer for global fixed income, oversees about $2.4 trillion and has served on the Fed’s Investment Advisory Committee on Financial Markets.

Many in Trump’s orbit know Andrew Sumerlin, a former deputy director of the National Economic Council under George W. Bush who launched a consulting firm in 2013; the Wall Street Journal has linked his firm’s work to interactions with Bessent.

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