Sharon Lubinski, the assistant police chief of Minneapolis and a 30-year law enforcement veteran, has been recommended to be Minnesota's the new U.S. Marshal by the state's lone U.S. senator.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar sent a letter to President Obama, making the recommendation. The president's pick for the job must be confirmed by the Senate.

(Former St. Paul Police Chief Bill Finney, too, was apparently interested in the appointment. After retiring as chief, he'd unsuccessfully run for Ramsey County Sheriff in 2006, losing a hard, bitter battle to incumbent Bob Fletcher.)

Klobuchar said about Lubinski:

"Sharon Lubinski's mix of experience managing a large, urban police department and working in a more rural sheriff's office sets her apart and makes her uniquely qualified to serve in this new role. During my eight years as Hennepin County Attorney, I had the opportunity to work with Sharon on an almost daily basis. I observed firsthand the strength of her leadership abilities and the respect she commands from people at every level of law enforcement and in the larger community."

On her Minneapolis Police Department web page, Lubinski says she worked eight years for the Dane County Sheriff's Department in Madison, Wis. In Minneapolis, she was precinct commander for downtown Minneapolis and deputy chief of patrol. As assistant chief of police, she runs the department’s daily overall operations.