Former rival Richardson to be Obama’s commerce secretary

President-elect Barack Obama has chosen New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to be commerce secretary, adding a prominent Hispanic and one-time Democratic rival to his expanding Cabinet.

Obama planned to announce the nomination after Thanksgiving, according to a Democratic official familiar with the discussions. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about the negotiations and did so on condition of anonymity.

Obama was set to name New York Federal Reserve Bank president Timothy Geithner as his treasury secretary on Monday, in his first official Cabinet announcement. Obama also planned to name Lawrence Summers to lead the National Economic Council.

Obama’s choice for attorney general is Eric Holder, who held the No. 2 slot in the Justice Department under Bill Clinton.

Other selections include former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota as secretary of health and human services and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, likely to be named as homeland security secretary.

Additionally, retired Gen. James Jones, a former Marine Corps commandant and NATO commander, appeared to be the top contender to be national security adviser.