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Ken Salazar

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Article Genealogy
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Ken Salazar
NameKen Salazar
CaptionOfficial portrait, 2009
Office50th United States Secretary of the Interior
PresidentBarack Obama
Term startJanuary 20, 2009
Term endApril 12, 2013
PredecessorDirk Kempthorne
SuccessorSally Jewell
Office1United States Senator from Colorado
Term start1January 3, 2005
Term end1January 20, 2009
Predecessor1Ben Nighthorse Campbell
Successor1Michael Bennet
Office236th Attorney General of Colorado
Term start2January 12, 1999
Term end2January 3, 2005
GovernorBill Owens
Predecessor2Gale Norton
Successor2John Suthers
Office3United States Ambassador to Mexico
President3Joe Biden
Term start3August 11, 2021
Term end3July 2024
Predecessor3Christopher Landau
Successor3Vacant
Birth date2 March 1955
Birth placeAlamosa, Colorado, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
SpouseHope Salazar, 1981
EducationColorado College (BA), University of Michigan Law School (JD)

Ken Salazar is an American attorney and politician who has served in prominent roles at the state, federal, and diplomatic levels. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 50th United States Secretary of the Interior under President Barack Obama and later as the United States Ambassador to Mexico under President Joe Biden. His career has been defined by a focus on natural resource management, environmental policy, and U.S.-Mexico relations.

Early life and education

Born in 1955 in the San Luis Valley town of Alamosa, Colorado, he is a fifth-generation Coloradan whose family's roots in the region trace back to the 16th century. He was raised on a remote ranch near the community of Manassa, an experience that deeply informed his connection to the land and rural life. For his education, he attended Colorado College, graduating magna cum laude with a degree in political science in 1977. He then earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School in 1981, where he served as an editor of the Michigan Law Review.

Political career

His political career began in Colorado state government, where he served as Chief Legal Counsel to Governor Roy Romer. In 1990, he was appointed as the Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, overseeing the state's water, mineral, and wildlife policies. He was first elected to statewide office in 1998, becoming the 36th Attorney General of Colorado, a position he held until 2005. In 2004, he was elected to the United States Senate, succeeding Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell. During his single term in the Senate, he served on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the Agriculture Committee, focusing on issues critical to the American West.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior

In 2009, he was confirmed as United States Secretary of the Interior in the Cabinet of Barack Obama. His tenure was marked by a pivot from the energy policies of the George W. Bush administration, placing a moratorium on offshore drilling after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and promoting the development of renewable energy on public lands. He oversaw the establishment of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement and championed the creation of new national monuments, including Fort Monroe National Monument and Chimney Rock National Monument. His department also reached a landmark settlement in the long-running Cobell v. Salazar lawsuit concerning the federal government's mismanagement of Native American trust funds.

Ambassador to Mexico

In 2021, President Joe Biden nominated him to serve as the United States Ambassador to Mexico, and he was confirmed by the United States Senate. As ambassador, his key priorities included managing bilateral cooperation on migration, enhancing economic ties under the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement, and addressing shared security challenges like drug trafficking. His tenure coincided with significant diplomatic engagements, including the 2022 North American Leaders' Summit held in Mexico City.

Post-government career

Following his service as Secretary of the Interior, he returned to private law practice, joining the Denver office of the international firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr. He has served on corporate boards, including for Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, and remains active in conservation circles, serving on the board of the Center for American Progress. He is also a senior advisor to the Environmental Defense Fund and has been involved in various initiatives promoting clean energy and sustainable agriculture.

Personal life

He married Hope Salazar in 1981, and they have two daughters. The family maintains strong ties to Colorado, with a residence in Denver and the historic family ranch in the San Luis Valley. An avid outdoorsman, his personal interests include ranching, fly fishing, and hiking. His heritage is a point of personal pride, as he is one of the highest-ranking Hispanic American officials in U.S. history, with ancestry that includes early Spanish settlers and Indigenous communities of the Southwestern United States.

Category:American diplomats Category:United States Secretaries of the Interior Category:Colorado Democrats Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Mexico