Obama's Cabinet Headed for Shake-Up

Nov. 7, 2012 -- intro: President Obama's victory Tuesday means he will pivot almost immediately to shoring up the team of top aides and cabinet secretaries who will help him tackle the looming fiscal cliff negotiations with Republicans and the full legislative agenda to follow.

While the president's White House staffers have undergone some serious changes during his first term, his cabinet secretaries have remained remarkably stable. That is sure to change. Several high-profile members are expected to step down from their roles in early 2013.

See full election results here.

Here's a look at the major Obama players and some candidates to fill any openings based on ABC News reporting, beltway buzz and outside reports.

quicklist: 2title: Hillary Clinton category: Department of Statetext: Clinton has openly and unambiguously pledged to step down from her post in a second Obama term, though she told State Department employees in January that she "will certainly stay on until the president nominates someone and that transition can occur."

Secretary of State is "my last public position," Clinton said in a December 2010 interview. "I will probably go back to advocacy work, particularly on women and children and probably around the world."

Possible replacements:

John Kerry, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (1984-present); Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Vietnam veteran; 2004 Democratic presidential nominee.

Susan Rice, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (2009-president); Obama campaign adviser on national security (2008); Brookings Institution fellow (2002-2009); U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (1997-2001).

Thomas Donilon, National Security Adviser (2010-present).

Samantha Power, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights (2009-present).

William Burns, Deputy Secretary of State (2011-present). Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (2008-2011).

R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (2005-2008). media: 17572766

quicklist: 3title: Timothy Geithnercategory: Department of the Treasurytext: Geither, the longest-serving member of Obama's economic team, said earlier this year that he would not return to the administration in a second term. "I'm confident he'll be president," he told Bloomberg News, speaking of Obama. "But I'm also confident he's going to have the privilege of having another secretary of the Treasury."

During an appearance on ABC's "This Week" in April, Geithner said the next Treasury Secretary would need to be someone who is "willing to tell [Obama] the truth and, you know, help him do the tough things you need to do."

Possible replacements:

Jack Lew, White House Chief of Staff (2012); former OMB Director (1998-2001; 2010-2012).

Erskine Bowles, co-chairman of the National Commission of Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (aka Simpson-Bowles Commission); White House chief of staff (1997-1998); serves on board of directors for Morgan Stanley and Facebook.

Larry Fink, BlackRock CEO, world's biggest money manager.

Roger Altman, investment banker, executive chairman, Evercore Partners; Deputy Treasury Secretary during Clinton administration; Obama bundler.

Gene Sperling, Director of the National Economic Council (2011-president; 1996-2000).media: 15767038

quicklist: 4title: Leon Panettacategory: Department of Defensetext: Panetta, 74, who assumed his role as Defense chief in June 2011, will likely continue in his position for a few months to another year, according sources close to him.

Possible replacements:

Michele Flournoy, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, (2009-2012); senior Obama campaign adviser for national security (present); co-founder of the Center for a New American Security (2007); Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Threat Reduction and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy during Clinton administration -- highest-ranking woman in Pentagon history.

Jack Reed, Democratic U.S. Senator from Rhode Island (1997-present); Former Army Ranger; West Point Graduate.

Ashton Carter, Deputy Secretary of Defense (2011-present); Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (2009-2011); Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy (1993-1996); former Director of the Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Chuck Hagel, former Republican U.S. Senator from Nebraska (1997-2009); Vietnam veteran; Member of the Secretary of Defense's Policy Board; co-Chairman of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board; professor at Georgetown University.

Richard Danzig, former Secretary of the Navy (1997-2001); Obama campaign adviser for national security (2008, 2012); chairman of the Center for New American Security; member of the Defense Policy Board and the President's Intelligence Advisory Board.media: 17208985

quicklist: 5title: Eric Holdercategory: Department of Justice (Attorney General)text: When asked if he'll stay for a second Obama term, Holder told a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing earlier this year: "What my future holds, frankly, I'm just not sure." Holder, the first African-American U.S. attorney general, is said to want to remain in the job but recognizes that controversies have marked his tenure. "Some have raised concerns about whether I was tough enough. I hope people will see ... [that I] stuck by my guns," he said. "I've lost some, I've won more than I've lost."

Possible replacements:

Deval Patrick, Governor of Massachusetts (2007-present); Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights (1994-1997); former executive at Texaco and Coca-Cola.

Amy Klobuchar, Democratic U.S. Senator from Minnesota (2007-present); member of Judiciary Committee; former Hennepin County attorney.

Sheldon Whitehouse, Democratic U.S. Senator from Rhode Island (2007-present); member of Judiciary Committee; former Attorney General of Rhode Island (1997-2003).

Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security (2009-present); former Arizona Governor (2003-2009); former Attorney General of Arizona (1999-2003). media: 17398480

quicklist: 6title: Janet Napolitanocategory: Department of Homeland Securitytext: Napolitano, the first woman Homeland Security chief, is said to enjoy her role but contemplate a return to her native Arizona. In an August interview with the Arizona Republic, she said a 2013 departure was "certainly in my mind" but added, "I don't know if or when. ... But I left a lot of my stuff in Arizona, and I'm still a registered voter there."

Possible replacements:

Raymond (Ray) Kelly, New York Police Department Commissioner (2002-present); Customs Commissioner (1998-2001).

Bill Bratton, former Los Angeles Police Department Commissioner (2002-2009); former New York Police Department Commissioner (1994-1996); Boston Police Commissioner (1986-1990).

Thad Allen, former Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard (2006-2010); coordinated response to the Haiti earthquake; former National Incident Commander who led the response to BP Gulf Oil Spill in 2011; led response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Clark Ervin, heads Homeland Security Project at the Aspen Institute; former Department of Homeland Security inspector general (2003-2004). media: 16211289

quicklist: 7title: Jack Lewcategory: White House Chief of Stafftext: Lew ? Obama's fourth chief of staff during his first term ? has held the position since January 2012 and will play a key role in charting a course for a second administration in early 2013. He will likely remain in the role at least into early 2013 but is also said to be interested in a new role in Washington or back in his hometown of New York.

Possible replacements:

Nancy-Ann DeParle, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy (2011-present); Director of Office of Health Reform (2009-2011).

Alyssa Mastromonaco, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations (2011-present).

Valerie Jarrett, Senior Adviser to the Obama (2009-present).

Ron Klain, former Chief of Staff for Vice President Joe Biden (2009-2011).

Thomas (Tom) Nides, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources (2011-present).media: 17172987

quicklist: 8title: Jay Carneycategory: White House Press Secretarytext: Carney is expected to leave his post and return to the private sector early in a second Obama term. He has served 20 months in his current role as Obama's second official spokesman, first assuming the position from Robert Gibbs in February 2011.

Possible replacements:

Jen Psaki, Obama campaign traveling press secretary

Joshua Earnest, Principal Deputy White House press secretarymedia: 15092446

quicklist: 9title: Kathleen Sebeliuscategory: Department of Health and Human Servicestext: Sebelius is expected to remain in her post well into a second Obama term to oversee further implementation of the administration's health care law. "So much of what we're working on isn't fully enacted until 2014," she told the Kansas City Star in September. "I can't imagine walking out the door in the middle of that?. I could say to him, 'Good luck, hope that goes well.' I don't think that works really well."media: 15067141

quicklist: 10title: Shaun Donovancategory: Department of Housing and Urban Developmenttext: Donovan has said it's ultimately up to the president but that he would like to remain the head of the agency responsible for promoting home ownership, affordable rental residences and community development. "I've loved serving him. But ultimately he's going to decide who his team is," he told CSPAN in October. "I've loved what I'm doing. I think we're making a real difference in families' lives. I'm very, very happy with the work that I'm doing."media:

quicklist: 11title: Arne Duncancategory: Department of Educationtext: Duncan, who is close personally with Obama and an occasional basketball playmate, is likely to stay through a second term to marshal an education reform plan he helped put in place, including the Race to the Top program and administering waivers for the No Child Left Behind law.

"I'm in it for the long haul," he told the Washington Post in September. "I'm staying, unless the president gets sick of me."media: 16294956

ABC News' Jason Ryan, Luis Martinez and Dana Hughes contributed reporting.