WASHINGTON (AP/CBS Charlotte) — Do you remember when Mayor Foxx said, “I’m happy being the mayor of Charlotte and I plan to be here a good while.” Apparently, that was short lived. Earlier this month, Foxx surprised the city of Charlotte when he abruptly announced that he would not run for re-election.
President Barack Obama plans to nominate Mayor Foxx on Monday, as his new transportation secretary, a White House official said Sunday.
If confirmed by the Senate, Foxx would replace outgoing Secretary Ray LaHood.
Foxx is Obama’s first black nominee among the new Cabinet members appointed for the second term. The president faced criticism early in his second term for a lack of diversity among his nominees.
The official insisted on anonymity to avoid public discussion of the pick before the official announcement.
The official noted that Foxx has led efforts to improve his city’s transit infrastructure to expand economic opportunity for businesses and workers. During Foxx’s term as mayor, Charlotte has broken ground on several important transportation projects, including the Charlotte Streetcar Project to bring modern electric tram service to the city as well as a third parallel runway at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. The city has also moved to extend the LYNX light rail system to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the official said.
Foxx, an attorney who has worked in several positions with the federal government, was first elected mayor in 2009. He also served as a member of the Charlotte City Council.
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