Oregon Public Broadcasting

President Obama formally nominated Former Washington Governor Gary Locke today to be Secretary of Commerce. Locke is Chinese American, and has a trade history with China from his days as governor.

He was born in Seattle and has lived most of his life in the Pacific Northwest.

So, as Kristian Foden-Vencil reports, the hope among many northwest businesses is that Locke could give this area a little edge.

Despite being a Democrat, Gary Locke has a reputation as a fiscal conservative. When recession struck his state in the early 2000s, he proposed laying-off thousands of state employees and cutting funds to nursing homes and disabled people instead of raising taxes. 

It earned him many enemies, but it also made him the darling of the local business community.

Indeed, after leaving office he joined a prestigious law firm representing local businesses in their dealings with China.

Ryan Deckert is the president of the Oregon Business Association.

Ryan Deckert: “I jumped a little higher when I heard that he was going to be a candidate for Commerce Secretary.”

On his commute to Salem, Deckert said it doesn’t take much imagination to see exactly how Locke might help the area.

Ryan Deckert: "We've done a pretty decent job here in Oregon attracting that mythical green job, whether it's a Vestas or solar companies. And to have the commerce secretary actually familiar with, who they are, know their names, actually know a few people. I've just got to think that he's going to do what he did as the governor of Washington, and say here are some real target opportunities that we ought to be capitalizing on. And I'd like to take that portfolio and run with it. And it'll be our companies that benefit from that."

If accepted, Locke will be the first Asian American to serve as Secretary of Commerce. 

Oregon’s first Asian American Congressman, David Wu, says Locke’s background will help.  He says that background, plus Locke's expertise with China, is a plus for for this region.

David Wu: "He has headed up at least a dozen trade missions overseas to both Europe and Asia and when I travel overseas I hear good reports about his work there. He clearly understands technology and innovation being from the Pacific Northwest."

The previous candidates for the job, Bill Richardson of New Mexico and Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, came from states with very different business foundations. But, Wu says, Locke is in perfect synchronization with this area's needs.

There are other ways in which a local commerce secretary might help the area. For example, political scientist Bill Lunch says the nominee of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Oregonian Jane Lubchenko, should be pleased -- because Locke will be her boss.

Bill Lunch: "It's got to be an enormous relief to Lubchenko that Gregg decided to withdraw and Gary Locke, with whom she and other scientists in the northwest worked when he was governor of Washington, will be taking this job. She probably knows him, if she doesnít, she probably knows people around him. And heís someone who will be very sympathetic to the kinds of things sheís going to wanting to be doing."

If successful, Locke’s official mission will be to promote and develop commerce. But many other jobs will also fall under his bailiwick – for example running the National Weather Service and transitioning the country to Digital Television. 

Locke would also be responsible for the 2010 census, a survey which Lunch says is very delicate.

Bill Lunch: “The reason it’s politically sensitive is, there are groups in the American population, particularly minority groups such as African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans, whose leaders contend and have pretty good statistical evidence for their contention, that they have been undercounted.”

The census will be critical for Oregon because it could determine whether the state is entitled to another congressional seat.