The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — A senior administration official says that President Barack Obama’s likely third pick for commerce secretary is former Washington Gov. Gary Locke.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement has not yet been made.
Locke, a Democrat, was the nation’s first Chinese-American governor when he served two terms in the governor’s mansion from 1997 to 2005.
Obama’s expected choice of Locke arose less than two weeks after his most recent pick, Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, backed out.
Just over a week after Obama named him and he accepted, Gregg cited “irresolvable conflicts” with the policies of the Democratic president.
