The U.S. Senate on Wednesday morning unanimously confirmed former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s nomination to become U.S. ambassador to Mexico, the first of President Joe Biden’s ambassador nominees to be confirmed.

Salazar was nominated to the critical diplomatic post in July. The 66-year-old, fifth-generation Coloradan previously ran the Department of the Interior during former President Barack Obama’s first term and then returned to Colorado, where he joined international law firm WilmerHale as a partner and founded the firm’s Denver office.

Prior to joining the Obama administration, he served a four-year term in the U.S. Senate and six years as Colorado’s attorney general in the early aughts  when he was the only Colorado Democrat elected to statewide office.

Gov. Jared Polis was among the first to congratulate Salazar in a statement this morning.

“Colorado is proud that one of our great statesmen will be representing the United States in Mexico,” he said. “I congratulate my good friend Ambassador Salazar on his confirmation and look forward to working with him to expand our economic and cultural ties between Mexico and Colorado.”