January 31, 2013 03:09 PM UTC

BREAKING: Lt. Gov. Garcia on Short List For Secretary of Labor

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• by: Colorado Pols

Reuters broke the story moments ago:

Colorado Lieutenant Governor Joe Garcia is a leading candidate to become secretary of labor during President Barack Obama's second term, sources familiar with the situation told Reuters on Thursday.

Garcia, a Hispanic former president of Colorado State University-Pueblo, would bring racial diversity and a Western flair to Obama's team…

Garcia, if nominated and confirmed, would succeed Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, a Latina who earlier this month announced plans to resign.

If confirmed, Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia would bring diversity that President Barack Obama's cabinet needs–and in the awesome facial hair department (photo right), Colorado's loss is definitely Washington's gain. Though we're as perplexed as everyone else as to how Garcia even made the list, let alone somehow ended up near the top. That's not a knock on Garcia–only that this sort of came out of left field.

In addition to serving as Colorado's lieutenant governor, Garcia is the past President of Colorado State University-Pueblo and former director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), as well as the former regional representative of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.