With Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s surprise resignation from his post on Monday, Pentagon watchers are looking at a handful of familiar names as his most likely replacement. Here’s a look at the possible short list:
Ash Carter
Rumored to be on President Obama’s short list for defense secretary for years, Carter served as Hagel’s deputy until last December. He also worked as the Pentagon’s top weapons buyer and budget official and still commands the respect of many in the building and on Capitol Hill. He’s a Rhodes scholar with degrees in theoretical physics and medieval history, and also served as an assistant defense secretary during Bill Clinton’s presidency.
Michèle Flournoy
Another long-rumored defense secretary candidate, Flournoy would become the first woman to hold the position if confirmed. She served as the Pentagon’s top policy adviser for three years before stepping away in 2012, and was a member of Obama’s transition team on defense. She also is a co-founder of the Center for a New American Security, think tank that has become a pipeline of defense talent for the administration.
Jack Reed
The Rhode Island lawmaker easily won re-election last month and is in line to take over as ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Reed has said he is not interested in the job. but the disappointment of not becoming chairman because of the Republican takeover of the chamber could convince him to step away from his 17-year Senate career. He’s been an ally of Obama on Capitol Hill but also a respected voice on defense issues, also serving on the chamber’s defense appropriations subcommittee.
Tim Howard
The goalkeeper of the U.S. national soccer team doesn’t quite have the credentials as the rest of the names on this list, but as the Washington Post pointed out, Hagel did joke that Howard’s World Cup performance was almost good enough to earn him the title.
