CNN is reporting Wednesday night that Obama has chosen Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano to become secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
President-elect Barack Obama's top choice for secretary of homeland security is Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, multiple Democratic sources close to the transition told CNN on condition of anonymity.
One source said he believed the final decision depends on the vetting of the Democratic governor, much like the selection of Eric Holder for attorney general.
Politico has more details on the Napolitano pick:
Napolitano (na-pawl-i-TAW-noh) brings law-and-order experience from her stint as the Grand Canyon State's first female attorney general. One of the nation's most prominent female elected officials, she made frequent appearances on behalf of Barack Obama during the campaign. She was re-elected to a second four-year term in 2006.
Transition insiders have long expected she would be offered a Cabinet slot, although she had also been mentioned for other posts, including attorney general.
Wikipedia:
Janet Napolitano (born November 29, 1957) is the current governor of the U.S. state of Arizona, and a member of the Democratic Party, originally elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2006. She is Arizona's third female governor, and the first woman to win re-election. In November 2005, Time magazine named her one of the five best governors in the U.S.[1] She served as the Chair of the National Governors Association in 2006-2007.[2] In February 2006, Napolitano was named by The White House Project as one of "8 in '08", a group of eight female politicians who could possibly run and/or be elected president in 2008.[3] On November 5th, 2008, Napolitano was named to the advisory board of the Obama-Biden Transition Project.[4] She is widely considered as a potential member of Obama's cabinet as Homeland Security Secretary.[5]
Reuters via CNN reported on November 19, 2008, quoting 'multiple' unnamed sources, that Napolitano is Barack Obama's top choice for Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. More about Janet Napolitano
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