Washington - US president-elect Barack Obama has made a new staffing decision, with Arizona governor Janet Napolitano to be appointed as the secretary for homeland security, the Washington Post reported Thursday, citing Democratic Party sources.

The 50-year-old Democrat, who has ruled the state of Arizona since 2003, is considered a resolute politician and rising star of the party. Before taking over as governor, she was a US federal attorney.

The final decision is still pending vetting procedures, the newspaper reported.

On Wednesday Obama named several high-profile appointments. Amongst others, the chief strategist of his election team, David Axelrod, will become a senior advisor to the president.

The 53-year-old former journalist is considered to be the architect of the Obama campaign.

Obama nominated the lawyer Gregory Craig as future White House counsel. Craig hit the headlines in the late 90s, when he successfully defended then-president Bill Clinton in impeachment proceedings.