Salazar accepts Obama offer to join Cabinet

Sen. Ken Salazar is being vetted by Barack Obama’s transition team and will likely leave the Senate to become secretary of the interior, according to sources.

Salazar (D-Colo.) has been grappling with the decision of whether to accept Obama’s offer to become his interior secretary. After mulling it over for the last couple of weeks, Salazar has agreed to join Obama’s Cabinet.

{mosads}Speculation about Salazar has been mounting since Obama’s triumph over Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). On Nov. 21, Salazar’s office stated it could not confirm nor deny that Salazar had been offered the interior secretary post.

One source familiar with the appointment process said, “It’s a done deal.”

As head of the Interior Department, Salazar would be in charge of the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the United States Geological Survey.

A spokesman for Salazar said he had no comment for this article.

Salazar would become the second Hispanic slated for Obama’s Cabinet. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) is the president-elect’s choice to lead the Commerce Department. He would also be the second Hispanic Interior secretary; Manuel Lujan Jr., who served under President George H.W. Bush, was the first.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus had called on Obama to add another Latino to his Cabinet. For Interior secretary, the caucus preferred Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.).

If Salazar’s appointment is confirmed by the Senate, he will leave open a competitive Senate seat. Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D) will choose his successor, who would then be up for reelection in 2010. Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway and retiring Rep. Tom Tancredo have been mentioned as possible GOP Senate challengers to Salazar, who won his first term in 2004.

Salazar served as Colorado attorney general prior to joining the Senate. He had also been the state’s director of natural resources and had championed legislation that reserved state lottery proceeds for land conservation. He sits on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Sam Youngman and J. Taylor Rushing contributed to this article.