Murkowski sees Hayes as acceptable Interior nominee

Hayes has been mentioned as a possible nominee to follow Salazar, who has announced his departure by the end of March.

The White House had yet to announce its pick for the job. The nominee will first face a confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, on which Murkowski is the ranking Republican.

If he were nominated by President Barack Obama, Hayes's personal background as a Washington, D.C. native would break with the tradition of secretaries coming from western states.