Gottlieb’s replacement? A roundup of likely, possible, and you-never-know contenders

The sudden resignation of Scott Gottlieb, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, leaves a giant hole atop an agency that oversees a quarter of the U.S. economy. Which, of course, leads to an equally big question: Who will replace him?

This is actually a two-part question. First, the administration will likely decide on an acting commissioner, who can take control when Gottlieb departs in a month. Then comes the harder task of finding a nominee who can be confirmed by the Senate. It would not be unprecedented for an administration facing other battles to leave the acting commissioner in place for months — or longer. There might not be a new commissioner until after 2020.

“I’ve expressed my thoughts privately and I’ll keep them private. I think that there’s some good people being thought of for the acting position,” Gottlieb said at a Wednesday event