Ray LaHood stepping down as U.S. transportation secretary LaHood's relentless campaign against distracted driving, his safety-first mantra and his determination to visit every state in the union gave the Peoria native a higher profile than several predecessors in the role, traditionally played out in the shadow of more glamorous Cabinet jobs. LaHood made the announcement in a statement Tuesday: "I have let President Obama know that I will not serve a second term as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It has been an honor and a privilege to lead the Department, and I am grateful to President Obama for giving me such an extraordinary opportunity. I plan to stay on until my successor is confirmed to ensure a smooth transition for the Department and all the important work we still have to do. There was no immediate word from the White House on who would replace him, but the fact that LaHood held off any announcement during a period when other second-term Cabinet appointments were being announced hinted that an active search may have been underway. The rumor mill was rife with suggestions, including Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, who made a name for himself by rebuilding that city's transit system, former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell, National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman and James Oberstar, the former Minnesota congressman who once chaired the House transportation committee. But the transportation secretary nominee often has defied Beltway gossip, most recently with the selection of LaHood, and during the administration of President George W. Bush with the appointment of Norman Mineta, a Californian who served as a Democrat in Congress. Obama thanked LaHood in a statement issued by the White House: "I want to thank Secretary LaHood for his dedication, his hard work, and his years of service to the American people - including the outstanding work he's done over the last four years as Secretary of Transportation. I also want to thank Ray for his friendship. The two men came to know one another as Obama rose to become an Illinois senator while LaHood served as a Republican in Congress. "Years ago, we were drawn together by a shared belief that those of us in public service owe an allegiance not to party or faction, but to the people we were elected to represent," Obama said in his statement. And Ray has never wavered in that belief. As Secretary of Transportation, he has fought to create jobs and grow our economy by rebuilding our roads, bridges and transit systems. Under his leadership, we have made significant investments in our passenger rail system and laid the groundwork for the high-speed rail network of the future. And every American who travels by air, rail or highway can thank Ray for his commitment to making our entire transportation system safer and stronger. I am grateful to Ray for everything he's done, and I wish him only the best going forward.