Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) announced Friday that he will vote against confirming Judge Brett Kavanaugh (shown above right) to the Supreme Court, leaving Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) as red-state Democrats who could decide the nomination’s fate.
“I have deep reservations about Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination to this lifetime position,” Donnelly said in a statement. Donnelly (pictured above left) is seeking another term with a heated race against Republican businessman Mike Braun, whom President Donald Trump has enthusiastically endorsed.
Trump carried Indiana by 19 points in the 2016 election, leading to speculation that the Donnelly re-election effort could be damaged if he took too visible a position in opposition to the chief executive.
Donnelly, Manchin and Heitkamp all voted for confirmation of Justice Neil Gorsuch after Trump nominated him in 2017, and the trio have been at the center of attention as potential Democrats for Kavanaugh.
Related: Judiciary Committee Defies ABA; Voting on Kavanaugh Nomination
Neither Manchin nor Heitkamp have said how they will vote, but a new poll released Friday shows the kind of public pressure weighing on the West Virginia Democrat.
An overnight survey by Public Opinion Strategies found strong support for confirming Kavanaugh:
- West Virginia voters want Brett Kavanaugh confirmed with a margin of 58-28 percent.
- A majority of independent voters favor confirmation by a margin of 59-26 percent.
- A majority of women voters with a margin of 52-35 percent.
The survey was commissioned by the Judicial Crisis Network, which has been Kavanaugh’s most visible advocacy group since Trump nominated him July 9. A total of 722 registered voters were interviewed by telephone, producing results with a 3.65+/- percent margin of error.
“The people of West Virginia have made it clear they want Judge Kavanaugh, a fair and independent judge, confirmed to the Supreme Court. Senator Manchin has a choice between standing with his constituents or endorsing a Democratic smear campaign to destroy a decent man,” said Carrie Severino, JCN’s chief counsel, in a statement.
The Senate Committee on the Judiciary voted 11-10 on party lines Friday to refer the nomination to the full Senate for a final vote. But Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said he voted for the motion with an understanding that the panel’s chairman, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), would encourage Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) would support a one-week delay in the final vote.
“It took courage to take a stand and call for a one-week FBI investigation to get to the bottom of the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh. This has been a partisan and divisive process.”
The delay would allow an FBI investigation of an allegation by Christine Blasey Ford that Kavanaugh sexually molested her at an early 1980s high school party. Kavanaugh has strenuously denied the allegation.
Manchin applauded Flake’s move, calling it a “decision to rise above the partisan circus on display during this entire process. It took courage to take a stand and call for a one-week FBI investigation to get to the bottom of the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh. This has been a partisan and divisive process.”
If the FBI turns up nothing new on Kavanaugh, it could provide Manchin with cover to support him.
On the other hand, if the FBI probe uncovers new problems, it could mean the end of Kavanaugh’s nomination, thus letting Manchin off the hook.
This article has been updated.
Join the Discussion
COMMENTS POLICY: We have no tolerance for messages of violence, racism, vulgarity, obscenity or other such discourteous behavior. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and useful online dialogue.