Associated Press
Former Mississippi Gov. Ray Mabus has been confirmed as secretary of the U.S. Navy.
A spokesman for U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin said the Senate voted unanimously Monday night in Washington to confirm Mabus to the Navy’s top civilian job. Mabus succeeds Donald C. Winter.
Mabus, who’s now 60, served in the Navy from 1970-72 as a surface warfare officer. The Democrat was Mississippi governor from 1988-92. He was U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1994-96 under President Bill Clinton.
During 2008, Mabus campaigned extensively for Democrat Barack Obama. Now president, Obama nominated Mabus for the Navy post in late March.
Navy officials hadn’t yet scheduled when Mabus would be sworn in and officially begin work, but that could take place by the end of the week.
Past secretaries have begun their tenure with a small, private swearing-in to officially start their terms and then had a larger, public swearing-in ceremony later. It wasn’t clear yet whether that would be the case with Mabus.
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