Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Lisabeth Tabor Hughes has been nominated by President Barack Obama to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, according to the White House Press Office.
But in a statement to WFPL News on Friday, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he would not support Hughes' nomination, which requires Senate approval.
In a news release Thursday, the president said Hughes has a "long and impressive record of service and a history of handing down fair and judicious decisions." McConnell spokesman Robert Steurer said in an email he opposes Hughes' nomination. "Leader McConnell tried to work with the White House to fill this vacancy, including submitting a qualified Kentuckian for consideration," Steurer said. "Rather than work with him to fill this vacancy, they submitted Justice Hughes without even notifying Leader McConnell. He will not support action on this nomination." Hughes is a graduate of both the University of Louisville and U of L's Brandeis School of Law. She began her career in private practice. In 1997, she was appointed to the Kentucky Court of Appeals, a position she held until 1998. In 1999, Hughes was appointed and then elected to the Jefferson Circuit Court, where she served for more than seven years before being re-appointed and later elected to the Kentucky Court of Appeals in 2006. Hughes has served on the Kentucky Supreme Court since 2007. The Associated Press contributed to this story.