Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) will vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.
Kelly announced his intent to vote for Jackson in a statement on Monday, calling her “well qualified” and saying he believes she will “fairly interpret and uphold the Constitution.”
“I take my constitutional duties seriously and that includes carefully considering nominees for lifetime appointments. After speaking with Judge Jackson and reviewing her record and approach to deciding cases, I believe her to be very well qualified and having demonstrated a commitment to fairly interpret and uphold the Constitution on our nation’s highest court,” Kelly wrote in a statement posted to Twitter.
“I look forward to voting to confirm Judge Jackson to serve on the Supreme Court,” he added.
Kelly, who took office after a special election in 2020, met with Jackson on March 29. He said the two discussed how Jackson “approaches the Supreme Court’s role in interpreting and upholding the Constitution.”
Kelly is among 48 members of the Senate Democratic Caucus who have come out in support of Jackson’s nomination, according to a tally by CBS News. And while his expected vote in favor of Jackson does not come as a surprise, it adds to the growing number of senators backing her nomination.
The two Democrats who have not yet said how they will vote on Jackson’s nomination are Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) and Maria Cantwell (Wash.).
Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) is the only GOP senator to announce plans to support Jackson thus far. If all Democrats come on board to support Jackson’s confirmation, which is expected, Jackson will secure a spot on the bench with bipartisan support. Fifty-one votes are needed for confirmation, and Vice President Harris can break a 50-50 tie.
Sen. Roy Blunt (Mo.), who was among the latest Republicans to come out against the Supreme Court nominee, told ABC News on Sunday that he will not support her confirmation but did say he will be “joining others in understanding the importance of this moment.”
“My sense is that the president certainly had every good intention and every, every right in the campaign to talk about putting the first Black woman on the court. I think it’s time for that to happen,” Blunt added.