The White House is considering Republican Rep. Buddy Carter of Georgia to be the next commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, a source familiar with the administration’s thinking confirmed Tuesday.
Choosing Carter for the position would be a pivot for the White House. His name has not been on previously reported short lists for the position.
Carter is leaving Congress at the end of the year; a strong Trump ally, he failed to gain the president’s endorsement in his May GOP primary bid for Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff’s seat, and he lost the race. He is a licensed pharmacist and previously owned his own pharmacy, Carter’s Pharmacy, for more than three decades. His license is currently active, according to the Georgia Department of Community Health.