Salazar, Kenneth Lee (1955-…), served as United States secretary of the interior from 2009 to 2013 under President Barack Obama. Before becoming interior secretary, Salazar represented Colorado in the U.S. Senate from 2005 to 2009. Salazar, a Democrat, was Colorado’s first Hispanic senator.
Salazar was born on March 2, 1955, in Alamosa, Colorado. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Colorado College in 1977 and a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 1981.
After graduating from law school, Salazar practiced law with a private firm in Denver. He specialized in water, environmental, and public lands cases. In 1986, he became chief legal counsel to the governor of Colorado. In 1990, Salazar was appointed to head the state’s Department of Natural Resources. He held that post until 1994, when he returned to private law practice. In 1998, he won election as Colorado’s attorney general, the state’s top law enforcement officer. He was reelected in 2002.
Salazar was elected to the Senate in 2004. In the same election, his brother John won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. As a senator, Salazar became known for his work on matters related to energy, the environment, and rural communities. In 2021, he became U.S. ambassador to Mexico in the administration of President Joe Biden.
