Politics | secretary of state Obama to Nominate John Kerry Today Has chosen senator as next secretary of state, source says By Evann Gastaldo Posted Dec 21, 2012 9:35 AM CST Copied President Barack Obama and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. arrive at Logan International Airport in Boston, Friday, Oct. 23, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer) No big surprise here, but a senior administration official tells the New York Times that President Obama will nominate John Kerry as the next secretary of state, and he's expected to make the announcement today. Kerry has been widely expected as the successor to Hillary Clinton since Susan Rice withdrew her name from consideration. The president's announcement should come early this afternoon. Read These Next Backlash for Trump nominee who said he has 'a Nazi streak.' A former NFL Pro Bowler has died at age 36. The massive AWS failure exposed a big problem with the internet. A young chess grandmaster has died unexpectedly. Report an error