California Assembly Speaker John A.
Perez is on the short list to succeed Hilda Solis, whose last day in
office was January 22, as Secretary of Labor.
Perez, who in 2010 became California's
first openly gay person to lead the Assembly, told the Sacramento
Bee that he's focused on his work at home
“Look, I'm always flattered if
somebody thinks my work is worthy of other consideration, but I'm
focused on being speaker for these next two years,” Perez said.
“And continuing to build back our economy, and continuing to build
on the fiscal discipline that we've created here in California. And
getting people back to work.”
However, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio
Villaraigosa, Perez's cousin, confirmed that he was in the running.
“I heard my cousin by the way is on
the list and I'm glad he is,” Villaraigosa reportedly said in an
online chat. “I've said to a number of people he would make a
great secretary of labor. I wish him luck.”
Were President Barack Obama to name
Perez to his cabinet, he would become the nation's first openly gay
secretary.