Cabinet Profile Gary Locke
Gary Locke, President Obama's pick for Commerce Secretary, served as governor of Washington from 1997-2005, where he promoted free trade, environmental conservation, and was generally regarded as a political centrist. He was also the first Chinese-American governor in U.S. history. He was confirmed by the Senate on March 24.
Locke was Mr. Obama's third choice for the commerce post. His first, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, was forced to step down in the wake of a federal grand jury investigation into alleged "pay-to-play" deals. His second choice, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), withdrew his name from consideration over what he described as ideological differences. As commerce secretary, Locke, 59, will help manage international trade, the domestic economy and the 2010 census.
Locke earned in undergraduate degree in political science from Yale University in 1972 and a law degree from Boston University in 1975. He is married to Mona Lee Locke, a former television reporter. The couple has three children.
