john mchugh

WASHINGTON – The president will name a Republican congressman this morning to replace Army Secretary Pete Geren, who represented Fort Worth as a Democrat in Congress before joining the Bush team at the Pentagon.

An administration official confirmed that Barack Obama will name Rep. John McHugh, R-N.Y., to serve as the civilian Army chief. An announcement is scheduled just before 11 a.m. CDT.

Geren, 57, was elected to the U.S. House in 1989 to replace former House Speaker Jim Wright, and served there until 1997.

A conservative Democrat, he accepted President George W. Bush’s offer to work at as a special assistant to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and he started work one week before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.