Ken Salazar | |
|---|---|
 Salazar in 2022 | |
| United States Ambassador to Mexico | |
| In office September 14, 2021 – January 7, 2025[1] | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Christopher Landau |
| Succeeded by | Mark Coolidge Johnson (Chargé d'affaires ad interim) |
| 50thUnited States Secretary of the Interior | |
| In office January 20, 2009 – April 12, 2013 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Deputy | David J. Hayes |
| Preceded by | Dirk Kempthorne |
| Succeeded by | Sally Jewell |
| United States Senator fromColorado | |
| In office January 3, 2005 – January 20, 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Ben Campbell |
| Succeeded by | Michael Bennet |
| 36thAttorney General of Colorado | |
| In office January 12, 1999 – January 3, 2005 | |
| Governor | Bill Owens |
| Preceded by | Gale Norton |
| Succeeded by | John Suthers |
| Executive Director of theColorado Department of Natural Resources | |
| In office 1990–1994 | |
| Governor | Roy Romer |
| Preceded by | Hamlet Barry |
| Succeeded by | James Lochhead |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kenneth Lee Salazar (1955-03-02)March 2, 1955 (age 70) Alamosa, Colorado, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Hope Hernandez |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | John Salazar (brother) |
| Education | Colorado College (BA) University of Michigan (JD) |
| Occupation |
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| Signature |  |
Secretary Ken Salazar responds to questions from SenatorBob Menendez at aSenate Energy Committee hearing Recorded March 17, 2009 | |
Kenneth Lee Salazar (born March 2, 1955) is an American lawyer, politician, and diplomat who served asUnited States ambassador to Mexico from 2021 to 2025. He previously served as the 50thUnited States Secretary of the Interior in the administration ofPresidentBarack Obama from 2009 to 2013. A member of theDemocratic Party, he previously was aUnited States Senator fromColorado from 2005 to 2009.
Salazar served asAttorney General of Colorado from 1999 to 2005. He became the first Latino Senator representing Colorado in 2005. He andMel Martínez (R-Florida) were the firstHispanic U.S. senators since 1977; they were joined byBob Menendez (D-New Jersey) in 2006.
On December 17, 2008, President-elect Obama announced he would nominate Salazar as U.S. secretary of the interior. Theenvironmentalist movement's[vague] reaction to this nomination was mixed.[2][3] Previously, Salazar supported the nomination ofGale Norton to Secretary of the Interior,[4] PresidentGeorge W. Bush's first appointee who preceded Salazar as Colorado Attorney General. On January 20, 2009, Salazar was confirmed by unanimous consent in the Senate. On January 16, 2013, it was reported that Salazar planned to resign his post asSecretary of the Interior in March 2013, but his resignation was delayed pending Senate confirmation of his successor,Sally Jewell.[5][6][7] On June 10, 2013, he became a partner in the major international law firm ofWilmerHale, and was tasked with opening a Denver office for the firm.[8] On August 16, 2016, Salazar was appointed to head presidential candidateHillary Clinton's transition team.[9]
In May 2021, PresidentJoe Biden nominated Salazar as theUnited States ambassador to Mexico.[10][11][12] His nomination was confirmed by avoice vote in theUnited States Senate on August 11, 2021.[13]
Ken Salazar was born inAlamosa, Colorado, the son of Emma Montoya and Enrique Salazar.[14][15] His elder brother is former CongressmanJohn Salazar.[16] He grew up nearManassa, in the community of Los Rincones in theSan Luis Valley area of south-central Colorado. Salazar attended St. Francis Seminary and Centauri High School inLa Jara, graduating in 1973. He later attendedColorado College, earning aBachelor of Arts degree inpolitical science in 1977, and received hisJuris Doctor from theUniversity of Michigan Law School in 1981. Later Salazar was awardedhonorary degrees (Doctor of Laws) from Colorado College (1993) and theUniversity of Denver (1999). After graduating, Salazar started private law practice.
Salazar'sHispanic roots trace back to theHispanos of New Mexico before New Mexico and Colorado were split up when they became part ofSouthwestern United States.[17] He has identified as aMexican American saying, "I've been taunted, called names—from 'dirty Mexican' to lots of other names—as I was growing up, and even now as a United States Senator."[18]
In 1986, Salazar became Chief Legal Counsel to thenColorado GovernorRoy Romer. In 1990, Romer appointed him to hisCabinet as director of theColorado Department of Natural Resources.
In this position, he authored the Great Outdoors Colorado Amendment, which created a massive land conservation program of which he became chairman. Salazar also created the Youth in Natural Resources program, giving thousands of Colorado's youth an opportunity to work and learn about Colorado's natural resources in public schools. The Great Outdoors Colorado program's success was a model forPresident Obama's America's Great Outdoors Initiative to create a 21st-century agenda for conservation and outdoor recreation.[19]
In his cabinet role, he established reforms that forced mining andpetroleum operations to better protect the surrounding environment and helped plan and promote Denver'sSouth Platte River Valley redevelopment, transforming the area from an abandoned wasteland to a vibrant economic center.[20]
In 1994, Salazar returned to private practice. In 1998, he was elected state attorney general; he was reelected to this position in 2002. Police operations were streamlined under Salazar, and several new branches of law enforcement were created: the Gang Prosecution Unit, the Environmental Crimes Unit, and the General Fugitive Prosecutive Unit, which targeted murderers. He also worked to strengthen consumer protection and anti-fraud laws, as well as to protect children through new policy designed to crack down onsex offenders.[20]
AsColorado Attorney General, he also led numerous investigations, including into the 1999Columbine High School massacre. Salazar was awarded the Conference of Western Attorneys General Profile in Courage award for his work.[21]
During Salazar's tenure, his office pursued several environmental cleanup cases around the state. In a water contamination case involving theSummitville mine inRio Grande County, Colorado, Salazar helped broker a joint settlement in which the federal and state government shared the $5 million settlement proceeds.[22]
In 2004, Salazar declared his candidacy for theU.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiringRepublican SenatorBen Nighthorse Campbell. Salazar considers himself amoderate and has at times taken positions that are in disagreement with the base of his party. He opposedgay adoption for a number of years, although by 2004 he had reversed his position.[23] Salazar fell behind to candidate Mike Miles early in the state's caucus process. The national Democratic Party backed Salazar with contributions from the DSCC, and Salazar came back to defeat Miles in the Democraticprimary, going on to defeatbeer executivePete Coors of theCoors Brewing Company and win thegeneral election for the Senate seat. He assumed office on January 3, 2005.
Salazar was a leading member of a bipartisan group of senators that developed theComprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007, which would have provided a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and increased funding for border security, though the bill ultimately failed in the Senate. During negotiations, Salazar was quoted byThe New York Times saying he wanted the new point system to be equitable: "We do not want to create a system that is just for the wealthiest and most educated immigrants."[24]
On May 23, 2005, Salazar was among theGang of 14 moderate senators to forge a compromise on the Democrats' use of thefilibuster against judicial appointments, thus blocking the Republican leadership's attempt to implement the so-called "nuclear option". Under the agreement, the Democrats would retain the power to filibuster a Bush judicial nominee only in an "extraordinary circumstance", and the three most conservative Bushappellate court nominees (Janice Rogers Brown,Priscilla Owen andWilliam Pryor) would receive a vote by the full Senate. Salazar has skirmished withFocus on the Family, a Colorado-basedconservative Christian group of national stature, over his stance on judicial nominees.
In 2005, Salazar voted against increasing fuel-efficiency standards (CAFE) for cars and trucks, a vote that the League of Conservation Voters believes is anti-environment. In the same year, Salazar voted against an amendment to repeal tax breaks forExxonMobil and other majorpetroleum companies.[25]
In August 2006, Ken Salazar supported fellow Democratic SenatorJoe Lieberman in his primary race againstNed Lamont inConnecticut. Lamont, running primarily as ananti-war candidate, won the primary. Salazar's continued support of Lieberman, who successfully ran as an independent against Lamont, has rankled the anti-war wing of the Democratic Party.
In 2006, Salazar voted to end protections that limitoffshore oil drilling inFlorida'sGulf Coast.[26]
Salazar introduced legislation, co-sponsored by Colorado Reps.John Salazar andMark Udall to limitnatural gas drilling on the environmentally-richRoan Plateau in western Colorado. The bill increased the amount of acreage on the Plateau designated too environmentally sensitive to drill for gas.[27]
Salazar worked in the Senate to give benefits toRocky Flats workers who became ill after working at the former nuclear weapons plant in Colorado. The legislation would grant workers immediate access to medical coverage and compensation without the need to file individual health claims.[28]
In 2007, Salazar was one of only a handful of Democrats to vote against a bill that would require theUnited States Army Corps of Engineers to considerglobal warming when planning water projects.[29]
Salazar received a 25 percent vote rating for 2007 by theHumane Society of the United States,[30] a zero percent vote rating for 2005–2006 byFund for Animals,[31] a 60 percent vote rating for 2007 byDefenders of Wildlife,[32] and a zero percent vote rating on theAnimal Welfare Institute Compassion Index.[33] He also supported the Bush administration's release of lands in theConservation Reserve Program (CRP) for emergency haying in Colorado'sYuma andPhillips Counties.[34] Salazar has an 81 percent lifetime rating from theLeague of Conservation Voters, including a 100 percent rating for the year 2008.[35]
Salazar resigned his Senate seat on January 20, 2009, upon his confirmation by the Senate to becomeSecretary of the Interior underPresident Barack Obama.[36]
Salazar accepted Obama's offer to join his cabinet as the Secretary of the Interior.[37] His appointment triggered aSaxbe fix by Congress.[38] On January 7, 2009, Congress approved a bill,S.J.Res. 3, and PresidentGeorge W. Bush signed it into law, providing such a fix by reducing the Secretary of Interior's salary to the level it was prior to the time Salazar took office in January 2009.
The Senate confirmed Salazar's nomination by voice vote on January 20, 2009, shortly after Obama was sworn in as president.[39] As Secretary of the Interior, Salazar was in charge of theNational Park Service, theBureau of Land Management, theUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service, theUnited States Geological Survey, theBureau of Indian Affairs, and other federal agencies overseen by the Interior Department.
Salazar was one of two Hispanics serving in Obama's Cabinet, along withSecretary of LaborHilda Solis ofCalifornia. Salazar is the second Hispanic Interior Secretary afterManuel Lujan, Jr., who held the post from 1989 to 1993 under PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush.
As secretary of the department, Salazar began a large-scale effort within the department to ensure that the country'snational parks and national monuments were inclusive of America's tribal and minority communities. Salazar worked to create new monuments to honorCesar Chavez, theBuffalo Soldiers,Harriet Tubman and theUnderground Railroad,Fort Monroe and sacred Native American sites likeChimney Rock in Colorado.[40]
Several prominent environmentalist groups were wary of Salazar, noting his strong ties with the coal and mining industries.Kieran Suckling, executive director of Center for Biological Diversity, which tracks endangered species and habitat issues stated, "He [Ken Salazar] is a right-of-center Democrat who often favors industry and bigagriculture in battles overglobal warming,fuel efficiency andendangered species."[41]
The nomination was praised, however, byGene Karpinski, President of theLeague of Conservation Voters. Upon the nomination, Karpinski said, "Throughout his career, Senator Salazar has campaigned on a pledge of support for 'our land, our water, our people.' With a perfect 100% score on the 2008 LCV Scorecard, he has lived up to that pledge. As a westerner, Senator Salazar has hands on experience with land and water issues, and will restore the Department of the Interior's role as the steward of America's public resources. We look forward to working with him to protect the health of America's land, water, and people in the coming years."[42]
Although Senate Republicans were expected to raise questions concerning Salazar's stances onoil shale development and drilling in environmentally sensitive areas,[43] Salazar was one of several Obama Cabinet appointees confirmed in the Senate by voice vote on January 20, 2009, shortly after Obama's inauguration. Salazar became the 50th Secretary of the Interior succeedingDirk Kempthorne, who praised Salazar's appointment.[44]
ColoradoGovernorBill Ritter appointed Denver Superintendent of SchoolsMichael Bennet to finish Salazar's term in the Senate, which expired in January 2011.
On January 23, 2009, Salazar stated that he was considering reopening theStatue of Liberty's crown to tourists. The crown has been closed to the public since the September 11, 2001 attacks. "I hope we can find a way", Salazar said in a statement. "It would proclaim to the world—both figuratively and literally—that the path to the light of liberty is open to all."[45]
On March 6, 2009, Salazar agreed to move forward with theFish and Wildlife Service's decision to remove theRocky Mountaingray wolf from theEndangered Species List inMontana andIdaho, but notWyoming. Minimum recovery goal for wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains is at least 30 breeding pairs and at least 300 wolves for at least three consecutive years, a goal that was attained in 2002 and has been exceeded every year since. (There are currently about 95 breeding pairs and 1,600 wolves in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming.)[46] Salazar, a former rancher has come under criticism of groups like theDefenders of Wildlife for this decision, and lack of protection of wolves.
On May 9, 2009, Salazar announced the upholding of a Bush-era policy that prevents the regulation ofgreenhouse gas emissions via theEndangered Species Act (ESA), a policy he pledged to reevaluate when he took office in January. The policy states that, despite the apparent negative impactglobal warming has onpolar bears, an endangered species, greenhouse gasses cannot be regulated with the ESA. Salazar stated in a conference call announcing the decision that "The single greatest threat to the polar bear is the melting of Arctic Sea ice due to climate change," but the Endangered Species Act "is not the appropriate tool for us to deal with what is a global issue." The decision was met with criticism from environmental groups and praise from energy groups including theAmerican Petroleum Institute, some Democrats and many Republicans. Salazar contended in the same conference call that the ESA was never intended to be used for the regulation of climate change, while sidestepping questions of how this situation is different from that of the Clean Air Act, which is being used by theEnvironmental Protection Agency to regulate emissions.[47]
In May 2009,Colorado GovernorBill Ritter, and the state's both senators, Michael Bennet and Mark Udall, wrote a letter to President Obama, recommending Salazar be appointed to theSupreme Court following the resignation ofDavid Souter.[48] Salazar stated on theToday that he was not interested and enjoyed his current job.[49]United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit JudgeSonia Sotomayor was eventuallynominated and confirmed.[50]
With Ritter's announcement on January 6, 2010, that he would not seek re-election as governor,[51] speculation began to swirl about a possible Salazar candidacythat year. CongressmanJohn Salazar, Salazar's brother, told local media that he thought his brother would likely run for governor.Denver MayorJohn Hickenlooper indicated that while he was considering a run himself, he would "do everything [he could] to help him get elected."[52] Both the Secretary's brother, John, and theObama administration urged him to run for governor,[53] but he ultimately declined and endorsed Hickenlooper's campaign.[54]
On April 28, 2010, Ken Salazar approvedCape Wind,[55][56] the first-ever commercial wind operation in public water, leading to initiation of the approval process for the first-of-its-kind Atlantic wind energy transmission line.[57]
During his time as secretary, Salazar successfully developed and implemented numerous renewable energy initiatives on public lands and helped lead the Obama administration's "all of the above" energy strategy.[58]
Secretary Salazar prioritized the rapid, responsible development ofrenewable energy on America's public lands, greenlighting the development of over 11,000 megawatts of renewable energy on public lands, including approval of the first-eversolar energy projects on public lands, and creation of the first-ever roadmap for future solar energy development in the West.[59]
During Salazar's tenure, the department also undertook new surveys to evaluate and identify innovative capacity and efficiency increases to help enhancehydropower generation at facilities of theBureau of Reclamation, the nation's second-largest hydropower producer.[60]
He has dealt with criticism after pushing to impose tougher leasing rules and cancel a series of planned drilling operations inAlaska and elsewhere. Salazar has dealt with criticism over his handling of theDeepwater Horizon oil spill, both because of the way his agency handled the permitting process for underwater drilling, and also because of the way the aftermath of the spill has been handled by the government.[61]
But Salazar also ushered in the most comprehensive offshore oil and gas safety initiatives and reforms ever in the United States, overhauling the government's antiquated and conflicted offshore oil and gas management program while approving millions of acres for oil and gas development offshore.[62] Salazar also implemented a new five-year plan for responsibleoil and gas exploration and development in America's offshore waters.[63]
In May 2010 Salazar testified to Congress that he had issued a "hit the pause button" order and that no new permits had been issued since the Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. However, a new deepwater well had been started in the Gulf since April 20, and the Department of the Interior under Salazar had "issued permits for at least seventeen other new offshore oil projects."[64]
As Secretary of the Interior, Salazar was thedesignated survivor for the2011 State of the Union Address.
Salazar created new partnerships between theDepartment of the Interior and American mayors and governors to create and revitalize a new generation of urban parks in cities such asNew York City,[65]Denver,[66]Chicago[67] andSt. Louis.[68] As secretary, the department also created seven newnational parks, includingPinnacles National Park inCalifornia,[69] and 10 new national monuments.[70]
In May 2012, Salazar spoke at the commencement ceremony for the 2012 class at theUniversity of Massachusetts Lowell.[71]
In November 2012, asked a question he did not like by a reporter forThe Gazette regarding Salazar's association with hauler who shipped wild horses to slaughter plants, Salazar told the reporter, "If you do that to me again, I'll punch you out". Salazar later apologized.[72][73]
In January 2013 Salazar announced that he would be resigning as Secretary of the Interior. His replacement,Sally Jewell, was nominated on February 6, 2013,[74] approved by the Senate on April 10, 2013,[75] and sworn in on April 12, 2013.[76]
On August 16, 2016,Hillary for America chairmanJohn Podesta announced that Secretary Clinton had chosen Salazar to head her transition team in order to prepare for an orderly transition should she be elected as the 45thPresident of the United States.[9]
On November 8, 2016,Donald Trump defeatedHillary Clinton in the election for President of the United States, and thus Salazar was not granted the opportunity to head theWhite House transition team.
On June 15, 2021, PresidentJoe Biden nominated Salazar to be the nextU.S. ambassador to Mexico.[77] TheSenate Foreign Relations Committee held hearings for his nomination on July 28, 2021. Salazar's nomination was then reported favorably by the committee on August 4, 2021. His nomination was confirmed by theUnited States Senate on August 11, 2021, byvoice vote.[78][79] He was ceremoniously sworn in by Vice PresidentKamala Harris on September 2, 2021.[80] On September 14, 2021, Salazar presented his credentials to PresidentAndrés Manuel López Obrador.[81] In July 2022,the New York Times published an article quoting "growing concern within theBiden administration that the ambassador may have actually compromised U.S. interests" and had become too close to sitting Mexican PresidentAndrés Manuel López Obrador.[82]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ken Salazar | 1,081,188 | 51.3 | |||
| Republican | Pete Coors | 980,668 | 47.4 | |||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | ||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ken Salazar (Inc.) | 803,200 | 57.92 | ||
| Republican | Marti Allbright | 522,281 | 37.66 | ||
| Green | Alison "Sunny" Mayna | 35,301 | 2.54 | ||
| Libertarian | Dwight K. Harding | 26,023 | 1.88 | ||
| Democratichold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ken Salazar | 634,159 | 49.96 | |||
| Republican | John Suthers | 601,774 | 47.41 | |||
| Libertarian | Wayne White | 33,470 | 2.64 | |||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | ||||||
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Attorney General of Colorado 1999–2005 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forU.S. Senator from Colorado (Class 3) 2004 | Succeeded by Michael Bennet |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. Senator (Class 3) from Colorado 2005–2009 Served alongside:Wayne Allard,Mark Udall | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | United States Secretary of the Interior 2009–2013 | Succeeded by |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by | United States Ambassador to Mexico 2021–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former US Cabinet Member | Order of precedence of the United States | Succeeded byas Former US Cabinet Member |
Current United States ambassadors toLatin America | ||
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