Republicans will have a wide runway to confirm conservative federal judges and fill any openings on the Supreme Court in the new Congress, with Donald Trump set to return to the White House and a GOP majority in the Senate.
The shift in power from Tuesday’s election will give the 78-year-old Trump an opportunity to add to the 234 lifetime judicial appointments he secured during his first term and further cement his influence on the federal courts.
Trump will likely find a strong ally in Senate Republicans, who have made judicial confirmations a priority and obtained at least a 52-seat majority, with several Senate races yet to be called.
