Ray LaHood, Transportation Secretary, Says He Will Not Serve Past Obama's First Term

Obama's 'Hipster' Cabinet Secretary Leaving

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Thursday he will not serve beyond President Barack Obama's first term, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The former Republican congressman from Illinois also said he would not run for public office again. He served in Congress for 14 years before joining Obama's cabinet. He said he wanted to enter the private sector after leaving the administration.

After Secretary of Defense Robert Gates retired on July 1, 2011, LaHood remains the only Republican in the Obama cabinet.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley have both said they will not stay past Obama's first term.

The Huffington Post's Sam Stein interviewed LaHood last May. The transportation secretary expressed concern for bicyclist safety and praised the creation of bike lanes in cities. When asked whether he was a "hipster" for defending cyclist safety, he said, "I don't even know what that term means."

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