Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said he plans to leave the Obama Administration as soon as a successor can be confirmed, a process that should take about two months.
In an interview with the Associated Press, LaHood said he told President Obama a week after the November election it was time to move on but added that he was still “conflicted” by his decision because he enjoyed working at the Department of Transportation and considered it the “best job I’ve ever had in public service.”
LaHood, a Republican, served seven terms in Congress representing a central Illinois district that includes his hometown of Peoria.
At the DOT, he provided a bipartisan voice during Obama’s first term, helping implement transportation projects from the 2009 economic stimulus bill, including more than a billion dollars in airport improvements.
LaHood, 67, told the Associated Press he will not run for public office in his home state of Illinois, saying he believes “you should go out while they’re applauding.”
