Ray LaHood rules out running for office after Cabinet term
Ray LaHood, who heads the U.S. Department of Transportation, said today he is staying in that job for one term only and will not run for public office again.
LaHood, 65, is a Republican from Peoria, Ill., who served in Congress for 14 years ending in January 2009, when he became a Cabinet secretary for President Obama.
He was not a candidate for reelection to Congress in 2008.
LaHood, whose name is sometimes mentioned for posts such as Illinois governor, said: “I’m not running for public office anymore,” and specifically ruled out a run for governor.
He said he expected there will be some “wonderful opportunities” for him in the private sector when he leaves government.
LaHood spoke in an interview after addressing the National Press Club, where he urged passage of the American Jobs Act, saying its $50 billion in transportation projects plus a $10-billion investment in an infrastructure bank would put people to work immediately in the construction industry.
kskiba@tribune.com
Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter
Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
