Obama eyes Arizona governor for Homeland Security

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama is considering Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano to be U.S. Homeland Security secretary, heading a sprawling agency formed to bolster civil defense in the wake of the September 11 attacks, a senior Democrat said.

"She's in the mix. She may be the front-runner," the Democrat told Reuters.

Napolitano, 50, is a former U.S. Attorney for Arizona and state attorney general, giving her law enforcement experience that the current secretary, Michael Chertoff, has said was a key qualification.

As governor of a state bordering Mexico, she also is closely involved in immigration issues which also come under the Homeland Security department's purview.

She was the first U.S. governor to call for the National Guard to assist with border security, at federal expense.

The Democratic source said Napolitano has also been under consideration for U.S. Attorney General -- a job Obama is said to favor giving to former Justice Department official Eric Holder. Obama decided that Napolitano would be "a good fit" at Homeland Security, the source said.

The department began operations in 2003, combining 22 federal agencies responsible for emergency management, customs and immigration, airport security, presidential protection and numerous other security-related activities.

(Reporting by Thomas Ferraro, Randall Mikkelsen; Editing by Sandra Maler)