Texas federal judge and Obama appointee, Judge David Guaderrama, is taking senior status today

[In It to Win It]

creating a new vacancy in the Western District of Texas.

This will make 4 vacancies in the Western District of Texas, all currently with no nominees to fill the vacancies.

I believe this makes 7 vacancies in the federal district courts in all of Texas. I don’t believe any of them have named nominees to fill those vacancies.

[walkingman]

1. I assume that means Biden will be able to fill the vacancies?

[In It to Win It]

2. In theory, yes... but he likely won't.

He can nominate someone, but it’s likely they won’t be confirmed.

The senators from Texas likely won’t support a Biden nominee to the US District Courts in Texas so therefore it’s not likely that someone will be confirmed. That’s the reason there are no nominees for any district court vacancy is Texas now.

ETA: I’m of the opinion that until they get rid of blue slips (or until we start winning some senate seats in red states), that Democratic-appointees in red state district court are a dying breed. Red state senators won’t let us fill those vacancies as they will withhold their blue slips.

[Marcuse]

3. If no GOP Senator blocks him and Finestein is in town.

[In It to Win It]

4. Durbin wouldn't let the nomination move unless the home state senators support them

Ted Cruz and John Cornyn are not giving their support to a person nominated to a federal district court in Texas by Joe Biden.

[bullimiami]

5. After McConnell's antics Durbin has every right to ignore the blue slips.

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In February 2019, attorney Eric Miller was confirmed to serve on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, despite the fact that neither of his two home-state senators (Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, both of Washington) had returned blue slips for him.[12] He was the first federal judicial nominee to be confirmed without support from either of his home-state senators, although other nominees were similarly confirmed to the Courts of Appeals without blue slips later in 2019, including Paul Matey (Third Circuit, New Jersey), Joseph F. Bianco and Michael H. Park (both Second Circuit, New York), and Kenneth K. Lee, Daniel P. Collins, and Daniel Bress (all Ninth Circuit, California).

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[In It to Win It]

6. Yes... and Dems don't pay attention to blue slips for circuit court nominees now

That, IMO, should now apply to the District Courts. No blue slips for District Courts.

Otherwise there will be very few red-state appointees by Joe Biden.