Update: Ken Salazar will not be leaving the Obama administration to run for governor of Colorado. White House officials are encouraging Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to continue working for President Barack Obama but they won't object if he decides to leave and run for governor of Colorado, The Denver Post reported. Salazar, who has served as a U.S. Senator and attorney general of Colorado, is facing pressure from Democrats to run, the paper said. But he refused to address the issue when asked several times during a conference call with reporters yesterday. Since joining the Obama administration, Salazar has kept Indian issues high on his agenda. He met with tribal leaders early in the year, moderated the historic White House Tribal Nations Conference in November and helped negotiate the Cobell trust fund settlement that was announced last month. Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D) dropped his bid for re-election yesterday. Get the Story:
Salazar gets White House OK for run (The Denver Post 1/7)
Salazar dodges questions about possible run for Colorado governor (The Washington Post 1/7)