The Chicago Tribune has named Senator John Kerry, Senator Richard Lugar and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson as favourites for secretary of state in the new Barack Obama [Images] cabinet.

The paper says Kerry is the front-runner. It says that Kerry as Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, helped catapult Obama into national prominence by selecting him as the keynote speaker for that year's Democratic National Convention. Kerry, the paper said, has expressed interest in the job..

Republican Lugar comes into the reckoning because during the last presidential debate, Obama specifically cited him as someone who shaped his ideas on foreign policy issues. Lugar, the paper said, had distanced himself from certain Bush administration policies, supporting Obama's call to engage with Iran and pushing for more involvement in the peace process.

Richardson held the post of ambassador to the UN and secretary of energy during the Clinton administration. The only Hispanic governor in the country, he was seen as instrumental in helping to secure the Hispanic vote for Obama, the paper said.