Republicans Race to Confirm Trump Judicial Picks
With Democrats set to take Senate control in January, more than 20 judicial nominees remain pending before the chamber.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Law
Live Poll
Should the Senate confirm more of Trump's judicial nominees before January?
Republicans are working to confirm President Donald Trump's pending judicial nominees before Democrats take control of the Senate in January. Democrats won firm control of the chamber in the November 4 midterm elections.
Why it matters
The confirmations will shape the federal judiciary, including four appeals court nominees, after the Senate majority changes hands. Democrats are likely to approve few, if any, of Trump's picks once they assume control.
More than 20 judicial picks are pending before the Senate, including four appeals court nominees. Eight nominees have had their paperwork returned and await a hearing, and it remains unresolved how many will be confirmed before January.
The players
Donald Trump
As the current President of the United States, Trump is the official who nominated the judicial picks now awaiting Senate action.
United States Senate
The Senate holds the constitutional power to confirm federal judicial nominees and is currently controlled by Republicans until the January transfer of power.
The details
Republicans are rushing to confirm the nominees before the new majority takes control. Attendance issues among departing senators are constraining the pace of confirmations.
Timeline
November 4, 2026: Democrats win firm control of the Senate in the midterm elections.
January 2027: Democrats take control of the Senate.
Legal Context
The push to confirm judges before a change in Senate control follows the constitutional confirmation process that gives the Senate a direct role in shaping the federal courts. Democrats taking control in January would determine whether the pending nominees advance.
Pending judicial nominations determine who sits on federal courts that rule on everyday legal disputes. A change in Senate control could delay or block nominees, affecting the timing of court vacancies being filled.
The takeaway
Control of the Senate can determine whether a president's judicial nominees are confirmed, so the November midterm results will shape the federal bench for years. Readers can track pending nominations through official Senate records.
What happens next
Democrats take control of the Senate in January 2027, which will determine the fate of the pending judicial nominees.
Further reading
Explore more on the Law section for context on federal courts and judicial appointments.
Live Poll
Should the Senate confirm more of Trump's judicial nominees before January?
