Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) of Kansas has emerged as the front-runner in the race to replace former Senator Tom Daschle as President Obama’s nominee for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, recent news reports suggest.
Sebelius was an early supporter of Obama’s presidential bid, and her name has popped up on the short lists for a number of cabinet positions. Many healthcare advocacy groups cite her eight-year stint as insurance commissioner as a significant qualification for the job at the department.
Obama administration officials also reportedly told a news outlet that Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) is still in the running. Healthcare advocates, however, are less than enthusiastic about Bredesen’s candidacy. Before being elected governor, Bredesen held a job as a managed-care executive. He maintains strong ties to the health insurance industry and previously dropped 170,000 adults from the Tennessee Medicaid program, according politico.com.
