After the elections comes the Cabinet reshuffle.

Now the political guessing game begins about another big Washington question: Who will succeed Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State?

Clinton, one of the most popular members of Obama's Cabinet, has said she will step down when the current presidential term concludes at the end of January.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland

(SOUNDBITE)(English) VICTORIA NULAND, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAYING:

"She intends to see through a transition of a successor and then she will go back to private life and enjoy some rest and think and write and all those things."

The position of Secretary of State is a big prize, and the jockeying for the post is well under way. Potential successors include Democratic Senator John Kerry, and U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice,

The departure by Clinton - often mentioned as a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2016 - will not be the only shakeup in Obama's core team.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, is also reportedly weighing whether the start of Obama's second term in January is the right time to leave. Obama's chief of staff Jack Lew is seen as a top choice for the job.

While there may be new faces in some of the key positions, the challenges in the jobs are expected to remain the same.