President Donald Trump (R) on May 1, 2025, announced that he would nominate Whitney Hermandorfer for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. This marks his first federal judicial nomination since taking office on January 20, 2025.
During his first term, Trump issued his first nomination 11 days after he took office: Justice Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court. According to the Federal Judicial Center, by May 9, 2021, of his first term, President Joe Biden (D) had made 12 Article III judicial nominations that were later confirmed by the Senate.
On May 6, 2025, Trump announced five additional Article III nominees:
- Zachary Bluestone, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
- Joshua Divine, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri
- Maria Lanahan, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
- Edward Aloysius O’Connell, to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
- Cristian Stevens, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri has one of the highest vacancy percentages of the district courts, with four vacancies out of the court’s nine judicial positions (44%). The federal judiciary currently has 46 vacancies, 45 of which are for lifetime Article III judgeships. As of publication, there were six pending nominations. According to the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts, there were 15 upcoming vacancies in the federal judiciary, where judges have announced their intention to leave active judicial status.
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