Sources: Ex-Wash. governor considered as commerce chief

McClatchy Newspapers

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 previously had been 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.

Before becoming governor, Locke served as King County executive from 1994 to 1997; King County encompasses Seattle. As chief executive of Washington state’s largest county, Locke gained a national reputation for the county’s growth management plan.

Before that, Locke served in the Washington state Legislature, where he spent five years as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

Locke, 59, also has a compelling personal story.

The son of immigrants from Guandong and Hong Kong, Locke lived in a public housing project in Seattle until he was 6 years old. Growing up, he worked in his father’s restaurant and grocery store before attending Yale University and the Boston University Law School. Locke has said he was the beneficiary of affirmative action in getting accepted at Yale, and paid for his college education with part-time jobs, scholarships and student loans.

As governor, Locke was instrumental in securing a package of tax breaks that helped persuade the Boeing company to build its new 787 Dreamliner in a plant north of Seattle.