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Ken Salazar Nominated To Serve As U.S. Ambassador To Mexico

DENVER (CBS4)- President Joe Biden nominated Ken Salazar for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Mexican States. Salazar is one of 9 individuals nominated to serve as ambassadors in the announcement on Tuesday.

Ken Salazar
(credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP/GettyImages)

According to the White House, Salazar "has served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Colorado U.S. Senator, and Colorado Attorney General. In 1998, Salazar was elected as Colorado Attorney General and became the first Latino ever elected to statewide office in Colorado. He was reelected as Attorney General in 2002. In 2004, Salazar was elected to the U.S. Senate for Colorado becoming the first Latino Democrat to be elected to the United States Senate since 1972. During the Obama Administration, he served as Secretary of the Interior, where he had a lead role on energy and climate, and the nation's conservation agenda. A native of Colorado, Salazar is a fifth-generation rancher in Colorado's San Luis Valley. He is a partner at WilmerHale, an American law firm and the founder of the firm's Denver office. Salazar represents clients on energy, environment, natural resources and Native American matters. Salazar has a B.S. from Colorado College and a J.D. from the University of Michigan. He also has honorary degrees from the Colorado School of Mines, the University of Massachusetts Lowell, the University of Colorado School of Law, the University of Denver School of Law, and Colorado College. His native language is Spanish."

"Ken Salazar is a man of great integrity and capability, a tried and true leader who will represent our country with honor as our U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and bring Colorado's problem-solving spirit to this position. A strong relationship between the United States and Mexico is critical for jobs, trade, security, and fighting crime. I commend President Biden for nominating Ken and urge the U.S. Senate to quickly confirm him in this role," said Gov. Jared Polis in a statement.

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