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Jun 24, 2006 8:54 AM

Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta has resigned, effective July 7, according to Department of Transportation (DOT) information.

Mineta's resignation came in a letter to President Bush June 20 in which Mineta said the time had come to move on to "other challenges." The only Democrat in President Bush's cabinet, Mineta was named to the post January 25, 2001.

Prior to joining President Bush's administration as Secretary of Transportation, Mineta served as Secretary of Commerce under President Bill Clinton. He was vice president of Lockheed Martin Corporation before joining the Commerce Department. From 1975 to 1995, he served as a member of the House of Representatives from California.

The DOT information did not indicate who would be nominated to replace Mineta, but the Washington Post reported that Deputy Secretary Maria Cino will assume Mineta's duties until a successor is confirmed by the Senate.