WASHINGTON -- Former Washington Gov. Gary Locke, the nation's first Chinese-American governor, will likely be nominated to be secretary of Commerce, an administration official and Capitol Hill sources confirmed Monday.
"Absolutely he is under consideration," said Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.
A senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because a final decision had not been made as of Monday evening, said Locke was the likely nominee.
On Capitol Hill, legislative insiders said they were "fairly confident" President Barack Obama would name Locke to the post in coming days. They indicated Locke was being vetted and he had been previously under consideration for the post of U.S. trade representative.
"He would make an outstanding secretary of Commerce," said Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., adding Locke has a strong background in international trade, particularly with China, and in fisheries, which is under the jurisdiction of the Commerce Department.
Cantwell agreed. "I think he would make a great Commerce secretary," she said.
Calls left for Locke at his Seattle law office were not returned.
Locke would be Obama's third choice for the post, which requires Senate confirmation.
Obama originally nominated New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson for Commerce secretary. But in January, Richardson withdrew amid disclosures a grand jury was investigating the awarding of state contracts in New Mexico.
Obama then turned to a Republican, Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire. But Gregg withdrew less than a week after being selected, citing "irresolvable conflicts" with the new administration.
Though not one of the most high-profile cabinet posts, the Commerce secretary oversees an agency with wide responsibilities ranging from international trade to the census and from fisheries to the weather service.
Locke served as the governor of Washington state from 1997 to 2005, and has since been a partner in the Seattle law firm Davis Wright Tremaine, focusing on China, energy and government relations.
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