WASHINGTON (Nexstar) — Nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson spent the week meeting with senators on Capitol Hill and appears poised to make history and be confirmed as the first Black woman Supreme Court justice.
Jackson only needs a simple majority vote in the Senate to be confirmed, meaning she can be confirmed to the Supreme Court if every Democrat votes in her favor.
And one Republican senator has already shown support.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced this week that she will vote in favor of confirming Jackson to the Supreme Court.
“I decided that she had the qualifications, the experience, and the credentials that we require of a Supreme Court Justice,” Collins said.
Meanwhile, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who last year voted in favor of confirming Jackson to the U.S. Court of Appeals, says he will vote against her confirmation to the Supreme Court.
“My decision is based upon her record of judicial activism, flawed sentencing methodology regarding child pornography cases,” Graham said.
Republicans alone can’t stop what would be the historic confirmation of the first Black woman to the supreme court.
While not all senators have announced how they will vote, not a single Democrat senator has said they will not vote to confirm.
“I look forward to supporting her on the floor,” said Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ).
“She’s going to make an outstanding justice, and certainly has the right judicial temperament,” said Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI).
Still, all eyes are on other moderate Republicans to see how much bipartisan support Jackson will get.
“I’m looking at her record and judicial philosophy and will make a decision, and will announce that when I have it but probably not until the day of the vote,” said Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah).
The senate judiciary committee is scheduled to vote on advancing Jackson’s nomination on Monday. If that vote ends in a tie, the first Black woman vice president would cast the tie-breaking vote to advance Jackson’s historic nomination to the Supreme Court.