He may not be the person many associations originally wanted for the job, but labor secretary nominee Alexander Acosta is getting support from some of the same groups that had enthusiastically endorsed his predecessor a few days earlier.

President Donald Trump announced Thursday he had nominated Acosta for the cabinet position after former nominee Andrew Puzder withdrew from consideration. Acosta is a former member of the National Labor Relations Board and is currently dean of Florida International University's law school.

Puzder, the chief executive of CKE Restaurants, pulled out after several Republican senators expressed concerns about his past, including a decision to employ an undocumented immigrant as a housekeeper. The CEO was favored by more than 100 business groups, which joined the International Franchise Association in signing an open letter urging senators to confirm the nominee. (Puzder was formerly a member of IFA's board of directors.) IFA CEO Robert Cresanti issued a statement after Acosta's nomination that wasn't quite as enthusiastic but still expressed the association's support for the new nominee.

"Franchise owners around the country are facing a great deal of regulatory uncertainty as a result of the wreckage created by the previous administration out-of-control Department of Labor," Cresanti said. "Mr. Acosta's exemplary record handling labor issues as a member of the NLRB has shown the appropriate balance needed protect the interests of employees and employers."

National Federation of Independent Business CEO Juanita Duggan said her group was "very pleased" with the nomination.

"Alexander Acosta is an experienced public servant with a distinguished record," Duggan said. "His knowledge of labor issues and his service as U.S. Attorney make him an especially strong candidate to take on the entrenched bureaucracy, which has imposed unbelievably severe and costly regulations on small business in recent years."

In a statement, the National Retail Federation didn't weigh in on whether Acosta was the right pick for the job. Instead, Senior Vice President David French said his group wanted "to see this position filled as soon as possible with someone who will put the American economy ahead of partisan politics."

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