Locke Likely to be Tapped for Commerce

Former Washington State Gov. Gary Locke (D) is likely to be President
Obama’s third pick for Commerce Secretary, according to media reports late
Monday.

Locke, who served as governor of the Evergreen State from 1997 to 2005,
would follow New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D), who withdrew his
nomination over a lawsuit that threatened to embroil his administration, and
Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), who withdrew his nomination after policy
disagreements with the administration came to light.

Locke spent two terms governing Washington during a period of economic
expansion, though his popularity waned during his final years in office. The
first Chinese-American governor, Locke gave the Democratic response to
President Bush’s 2003 State of the Union address.

Now a lawyer in the Seattle office of the Davis Wright Tremaine lawfirm,
Locke had been mentioned as a potential candidate for Interior secretary,
though that post later went to Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.). Calls to Locke’s
Seattle office late Monday went unreturned.

Senior Washington state lawmakers who spoke with the White House last week were told Locke was under serious consideration, according to sources within the delegation, though the White House has not formally told them Locke will be nominated.