Wesley Clark wins straw poll for US Secretary of Energy

November 20, 2012 |

Biofuels Digest readers choose Clark by a wide margin; Chu in a distant second; Reicher, Podesta, Dorgan trail far behind.

Biofuels Digest readers chose former NATO commander Wesley K. Clark as US Secretary of Energy in an online straw poll. In a field of 17 candidates, including the current Secretary, Dr. Steven Chu, Clark picked up 24 percent of the vote. Secretary Chu ran second with 10 percent of the ballots. Retiring New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman picked up 8 percent of the votes to finish third.

Amongst those rumored to be in contention for the appointment, former North Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan finished fifth in the straw poll, while former Asst. Secretary of Energy Dan Reicher tied for a disappointing seventh place, and former White House chief of staff John Podesta finished 13th.

Vote totals in the straw poll:

Gen. Wesley Clark (co-chair, Growth Energy; former supreme NATO Commander) 24%

Steven Chu (US Secretary of Energy) 10.0%

Jeff Bingaman (retiring Senator, New Mexico) 8%

Jennifer Granholm (former Michigan governor) 7%

Byron Dorgan (former Senator, North Dakota) 6%

Christine Gregoire (retiring Governor, Washington state) 5%

Tom Daschle (former Senate Majority Leader) 4%

Chad Holliday (Chairman, Bank of America; former CEO, DuPont) 4%

Jim Rogers (Duke Energy CEO) 4%

Dan Reicher (former Clinton Asst. Secretary of Energy) 4%

Heather Zichal (Asst. Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy) 4%

Steve Westly (CEO, The Westly Group) 4%

John Podesta (Center for American Progress chair and former Clinton White House chief of staff) 3%

Jim Berhnard (CEO, The Shaw Group) 3%

Bill Richardson (Former Governor, New Mexico; former Secretary of Energy) 2%

John Rowe (Exelon CEO) 2%

Tom Steyer (venture capitalist) <1%

Category: Top Stories

Thank you for visting the Digest.