Ken Salazar Sworn In As New Ambassador To Mexico

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DENVER (CBS4)- Vice President Kamala Harris swore in former U.S. Senator Ken Salazar as the new ambassador to Mexico on Thursday. Salazar has represented Colorado in many elected positions, including the Senate as well as attorney general of Colorado.

(credit: The White House)

After last month's Senate confirmation, Gov. Jared Polis released a statement congratulating Salazar, "Colorado is proud that one of our great statesmen will be representing the United States in Mexico. Ken Salazar was confirmed this morning by the United States Senate as Ambassador to Mexico. I congratulate my good friend Ambassador Salazar on his confirmation and look forward to working with him to expand our economic and cultural ties between Mexico and Colorado."

Salazar's formal title is Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Mexican States.

Ken Salazar (credit: U.S. Department of the Interior)

According to the White House, Salazar "has served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Colorado U.S. Senator, and Colorado Attorney General. In 1998, Salazar was elected as Colorado Attorney General and became the first Latino ever elected to statewide office in Colorado. He was reelected as Attorney General in 2002. In 2004, Salazar was elected to the U.S. Senate for Colorado becoming the first Latino Democrat to be elected to the United States Senate since 1972. During the Obama Administration, he served as Secretary of the Interior, where he had a lead role on energy and climate, and the nation's conservation agenda. A native of Colorado, Salazar is a fifth-generation rancher in Colorado's San Luis Valley. He is a partner at WilmerHale, an American law firm and the founder of the firm's Denver office. Salazar represents clients on energy, environment, natural resources and Native American matters. Salazar has a B.S. from Colorado College and a J.D. from the University of Michigan. He also has honorary degrees from the Colorado School of Mines, the University of Massachusetts Lowell, the University of Colorado School of Law, the University of Denver School of Law, and Colorado College. His native language is Spanish."