Gary Locke for Commerce Secretary

Hopefully the third time will be a charm for President Obama’s pick for Commerce Secretary.

Insiders are saying that President Obama is set on picking the former governor of Washington, Gary Locke.

Locke, 57, who was the country’s first Chinese-American governor, was elected in 1996 and again in 2000.

Prior to becoming a governor, he served five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and one term as executive of King County, Washington. In addition, he was also chairman of the House of Appropriations Committee from 1989 to 1994.

He is currently a lawyer in Seattle, Washington.

President Obama’s first choice for Commerce Secretary was the governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson, but the governor withdrew his name citing the distraction of a federal investigation into ties to a company that had done business with his state.

His second choice was Republican Senator Judd Gregg from New Hampshire who pretty much begged for the position, and once Obama agreed to offer him the position, he too withdrew his name citing “irresolvable conflict.”