Fifth GOP senator says he’ll back AG nominee

A fifth Republican senator is throwing his support behind attorney general nominee Loretta Lynch, seemingly giving the New York prosecutor the necessary votes for confirmation.

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), who is up for reelection in 2016, announced Thursday he will vote to confirm Lynch, even though the majority of Republicans are expected to vote against President Obama’s pick to replace outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder.

“I am confident from my conversation with Loretta Lynch that she will be a valuable partner in confronting the gang violence that is robbing families of their children every day in Chicago,” Kirk said in a statement. “We need the help of the Attorney General to fight gangs of national significance through federal law enforcement agencies and prosecutors, and to address organized crime like drug and child sex trafficking.”

{mosads}Many Republicans are critical of Lynch’s support for Obama’s controversial immigration policies.

But Kirk’s ringing endorsement gives Lynch at least five Republican supporters, which should be enough for her to be confirmed. Kirk is a top Democratic target in 2016, and he will need a lot of Democratic support to win a second term in the upper chamber.

The other Republican senators who have indicated they will vote for Lynch include Sens. Orrin Hatch (Utah), Jeff Flake (Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Susan Collins (Maine).

Meanwhile, Lynch enjoys seemingly universal support from Democrats. Assuming every senator from the president’s party — and the two independents, Sens. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) and Angus King (Maine) — votes for Lynch, she only needs four Republican backers to win confirmation.

But the Justice Department’s indictment of Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) could force Democrats to go searching for another Republican backer, were he to recuse himself from the vote.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has delayed her vote over the last few weeks, but is expected to bring the matter up for a vote after the Senate returns from its recess later this month.