The Senate could approve President Biden’s nomination to the Supreme Court without a single Republican vote, but Mr. Biden and the Democrats would like to avoid that outcome if possible, and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has enjoyed some GOP support in the past.
Even before Justice Jackson was elected, President and Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois and chairman of the Judiciary Committee, began reaching out to Republicans they saw as potentially open to supporting Biden’s nominee, including Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Mitta. Romney from Utah.
Democrats say the nominee’s bipartisan support helps bolster her credibility and the court. They also hope that some Republicans will welcome the opportunity to support the first black woman to serve on the Supreme Court and will be willing to put aside any ideological differences if they deem a suitable candidate for the position.
As long as all 50 Democrats back a nominee, backing at least one Republican would also avoid the spectacle of Vice President Kamala Harris having to break the tie to nominate a new justice, the first ever Supreme Court confirmation.
But the chances of a significant bipartisan vote turned out to be minimal.
Ms. Collins, along with Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, were the only Republicans to vote for Judge Jackson when she was confirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in June last year.
While additional Republicans may still decide to support her in the Supreme Court, it would be unusual for a senator who opposed a lower court nominee to then support her in a higher judicial office.
And on Friday, Mr. Graham, who has been pushing Mr. Biden to select Judge J. Michelle Childs of South Carolina for the vacancy, expressed serious doubts about his willingness to support Judge Jackson’s assertion.
Senators Murkowski and Collins have both shown a willingness to back the judiciary Democratic presidential candidates, and Ms. Murkowski has a new political impetus to do so. She is seeking re-election in Alaska under the new electoral system, and could benefit from the support of independents and Democrats who support Mr. Biden’s choice.
On Friday, Ms. Collins issued a statement praising Justice Jackson’s qualifications and suggesting she was undecided on how to vote.
“Ketanji Brown Jackson is a seasoned federal judge with impressive academic and legal credentials.” Miss Collins said. “I will conduct a thorough review of Judge Jackson’s candidacy and look forward to her public hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee and meeting her in my office.”
In an attempt to rally support, Democrats told senators they would provide requested materials and set up meetings with the candidate so they could get everything they needed to make a decision.
It would not be the first time to take a seat on the court without the support of any senator due to the passage. Judge Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed in October 2020 without a Democratic vote following her nomination by President Donald Trump.