One member of the Iron Cabinet may stay — in a different position.
One bit of speculation among the well- and sometimes not-so-well-informed in the state capital is that Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue may keep Bryan Beatty on board.
Beatty has served Gov. Mike Easley since 2001 as secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety and is reportedly interested in staying. However, Perdue may shift him to the Department of Correction, where fellow "Iron Secretary" Theodis Beck is retiring.
In other news, Rep. Bill Owens, a Pasquotank County Democrat who was ranked among the most effective in the House in 2007, may be up for the secretary of Commerce position. (N.C. Spin had previously related this rumor.)
Other names that had been discussed for that position included Crandall Bowles, Sen. David Hoyle, retiring Rep. Jim Harrell and former deputy Tony Copeland.
Asheville Citizen-Times reporter Jordan Schrader writes on his Capital Letters blog that current Commerce Secretary Jim Fain doesn't expect to remain in the post.
Update: Owens was spotted visiting the lieutenant governor's office on Blount Street this afternoon.
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