Three Michigan judges are on President Donald Trump's list to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.
- Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announces retirement from bench
- Timeline: Justice Anthony Kennedy's key Supreme Court decisions
Kennedy, 81, announced his retirement on Wednesday after serving 30 years on the bench. President Trump said that he would use the same list he used when nominating current Justice Neil Gorsuch to find a replacement for Kennedy.
There are 25 names on the list, which include three judges with Michigan connections.
Robert Young is the former Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court. He is currently serving as the general counsel for Michigan State University. He served on the Michigan Supreme Court from 199-2017.
Another name on the list is Joan Larsen, who is currently one of the judges in the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. Larsen, 49, served on the Michigan Supreme Court from 2015-17 before being nominated by Trump to the Sixth Circuit. She was also a professor at the University of Michigan Law School and clerked for late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia after graduating from Northwestern.
The final name with a Michigan connection in Judge Raymond Kethledge, who also serves as a judge for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. The 51-year-old was nominated by President George W. Bush in 2008 and clerked for Kennedy after graduating from the University of Michigan.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Wednesday that the Senate would work to confirm a new Supreme Court nominee in the fall.
A nominee would need 51 votes to be confirmed in the Senate, and Republicans currently hold a 51-49 majority in the U.S. Senate.
With the election in November, there are 35 US Senate seats up for grabs, 26 of which are occupied by Democrats.
