Defense secretary candidate bows out

WASHINGTON – Michele Flournoy, a main contender to replace Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, has taken herself out of consideration for the Pentagon’s top job, people familiar with the process said Tuesday.

Flournoy’s decision underscores the difficulty President Barack Obama may face in finding a candidate to take the helm at the Pentagon late in his second term and as the administration faces intense criticism of its handling of crises in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Other candidates being considered include Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, who previously served as the Pentagon’s general counsel, according to several people close to the process. Two Pentagon veterans are also seen as contenders for the department’s top job: former Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Robert Work, who currently holds the No. 2 job at the Pentagon.

Still, Flournoy’s decision to withdraw removes a candidate who was seen as being at the top of Obama’s list. Flournoy, who was also considered for defense secretary in 2012, would have been the first woman to head the Pentagon.

Flournoy served as a top Pentagon official during Obama’s first term, then returned to the Center for a New American Security, the think tank she co-founded. She sent a letter to the think tank’s board Tuesday saying she had asked the president to take her out of consideration for the Pentagon job, citing family issues.

A person close to Flournoy said she had concerns about the job, including whether she would be given more latitude than Hagel in policymaking.