United States President Barack Obama is preparing to appoint Hispanic official Thomas Perez as the next Secretary of Labor, according to sources close to the discussions in the White House. Perez, 51, born in Buffalo, New York to Dominican parents, has led the Human Rights Division of the Justice Department since 2009 and before that was the Secretary of Labor for the state of Maryland. He is expected to receive solid support from the unions and from the Hispanic community, which wants to be represented in the Obama cabinet.
His appointment could become official soon, even today, Monday 11 March, said the source close to the selection process. They talked last Saturday, 9 March on condition of anonymity because the White House has still not made the official announcement. White House spokesman Matt Lehrich declined to make any statements. If he is nominated and confirmed, Perez will substitute Nilda Solis, who resigned in January to return to her home state of California. Perez was the first Latino to be elected to the Montgomery County Council where he served from 2002 until 2006.