U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns has announced his resignation, with apparanent plans to return to Nebraska to run for a U.s. Senate seat. The Acting Agriculture Secretary will be Chuck Conner, the former Deputy Secretary.
Johanns did not announce his Senate candidacy when he appeared with Bush in the White House Rose Garden, but Bush all but did it for him, saying Johanns would be “an outstanding member of the United States Senate.” Bush added that he “couldn’t have asked for a better secretary of agriculture.”
In an outdoor farewell gathering of USDA employees this afternoon, he said he wanted to spend more time in his home state. To reporters covering that event, he said, “I’m going to go back to Nebraska as quick as I can, and then we’ll kind of take it from there.”
Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner said he expects “a seamless transition” following Thursday morning’s resignation of Secretary Mike Johanns because Johanns involved him in all key decisions since they came to the agency in 2005.
“He really gave me the opportunity to be directly involved in every decision,” Conner told reporters shortly after President Bush accepted Johanns’ resignation and put Conner in charge of USDA, at least temporarily.
“As deputy secretary [Conner] has already been immersed in the farm bill debate and will not miss a beat in terms of contact with members of Congress,” one White House official said.
Conner said he had not discussed with White House officials whether he would be nominated for the permanent post. Bush aides did not comment Thursday on Conner’s long-term prospects.