By Kathryn A. Wolfe, CQ Staff

Now that deep-pocketed hotel heiress Penny Pritzker has taken herself out of the running for Commerce secretary, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has emerged as a leading contender for the post.

For Richardson, the job would be something of a consolation prize for losing out on secretary of State to New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton .

Richardson, who has Mexican roots, would represent a key minority appointment by Obama, who won overwhelming support from Latino voters on Election Day.

Richardson seems likely to sail through the Senate’s confirmation process.

When he was being considered as a vice presidential candidate, Obama’s staff of lawyers and advisers fully vetted Richardson, who was confirmed once before as Energy Secretary in 1998.

At that time, his confirmation had some bumps, mostly the result of partisan politicking over nuclear waste rather than his personal views or conduct.

For instance, Sen. Larry E. Craig , R-Idaho, said he would oppose the nomination of Richardson — or anyone else — until President Clinton gave the Energy secretary the authority to “negotiate a solution to the problem of nuclear waste.”

But when the committee got around to voting, Craig voted present. Former Sen. Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska (1981-2002) — who opposed Richardson’s nomination because of allegations that he lied about having offered Monica Lewinsky a job — also voted present at committee.

Richardson’s tenure at Energy was not without problems. Richardson along with other officials publicly named Los Alamos scientist Wen Ho Lee as being suspected of handing over nuclear secrets to the Chinese government. The scientist was later cleared of all serious charges and won a countersuit for the espionage accusation. Richardson has since admitted that he did not handle the incident properly.

Richardson, who also was ambassador to the United Nations under President Clinton, has an extensive foreign policy resume that includes having been nominated multiple times for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in negotiating the release of hostages, U.S. servicemen and others. He has also been a popular governor; in 2006 he was reelected to a second term by the largest margin in the history of New Mexico.