Jun 26, 2006 10:17 AM, from staff and wire reports

Norman Y Mineta

United States Transportation Secretary Norman Y Mineta has resigned, effective July 7, according to US Department of Transportation information.

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

Before joining Bush's administration as Secretary of Transportation, Mineta served as Secretary of Commerce under President Bill Clinton. He was vice-president of Lockheed Martin Corp before joining the Commerce Department. From 1975 to 1995, he served as a member of the US 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 US Senate.