AP Reports It's Official: Gov. Bill Richardson Picked as Commerce Secretary

Even more change is on the way. After days of speculation and rumors, the is now reporting that Gov. Bill Richardson will be Barack Obama's choice for Commerce Secretary, and that the formal announcement will happen after Thanksgiving. Earlier, Politico reported that Richardson had passed the vetting process for the post so, unless unforeseen snags occur, it definitely seems like a done deal.

Some see the Commerce job as a consolation prize for Richardson given his pursuit of the Secretary of State slot that will almost certainly go to Hillary Clinton. However, this piece at Huffington Post argues that Richardson's penchant for innovation and management style are an excellent match for the Commerce post.

Richardson will be moving to DC in early 2009, and turning over the gubernatorial reins in New Mexico to Lt. Gov. Diane Denish. In turn, Denish will select someone to step into her old job as Lt. Governor. The strong frontrunner for that post is current State Auditor Hector Balderas, who was all over the state stumping for Obama and has often appeared at Denish's side in recent months. Denish and whoever she picks for LG will need to face the voters in November of 2010 in order to secure new four-year terms.