Washington: President-elect Barack Obama will tomorrow nominate New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson as Commerce Secretary, in the latest addition to his rapidly filling cabinet, a Democratic official said. Obama is set to roll out Richardson, a former diplomatic troubleshooter and ex-envoy to the United Nations at a news conference in Chicago, two days after filling out the top ranks of a heavy-hitting national security team.
Richardson, one of the highest profile Hispanic politicians in the United States, had been seen as a possible choice for secretary of state, had Obama not decided to hand the job to his former political foe Hillary Clinton. The New Mexico governor mounted an unsuccessful challenge for the Democratic nomination, and switched allegiances to back Obama over Clinton, despite his loyalty to former president Bill Clinton, whom he served as energy secretary.
