President Obama announces choice of John McHugh as Army Secretary today (Getty)

In nominating New York Republican Rep. John M. McHugh for Army Secretary, President Obama has again raided the U.S. House to fill an executive branch post. Only this time there’s the possibility that this bipartisan-minded choice could lead to a partisan shift in the district’s representation.

McHugh will become the fourth House member to resign from Congress to join the Obama administration, joining Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis , White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and California Democrat Ellen Tauscher , who’s in line to become Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.  

Emanuel was succeeded by a Democrat (Mike Quigley ), and Solis and Tauscher almost certainly will be.