Maryland’s GOP governor says Republicans shouldn’t rush SCOTUS vote before election

Larry Hogan, the Republican governor of Maryland, is urging the GOP to not push through a Supreme Court nominee so close to a presidential election.

“I don’t think we should play partisan games with the Supreme Court,” Hogan, who has led his blue state for two terms, said in an interview for The Texas Tribune Festival that aired Wednesday.

“I think it would be a mistake for the Senate to ram through a nominee before the election on a partisan line vote — just as I think it would also be a mistake for the Democrats to question the integrity of the court or any of the nominees or try to pack the court,” he added.

The remarks come as President Trump and the Senate GOP work to push through a Supreme Court nominee this year to fill the vacancy left by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) appears to have attained the number of votes he needs to push a pick over the 50-vote threshold after seeming to lose the votes of GOP Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska). And Trump announced this week that he intends to name a nominee this coming Saturday.

The speedy effort to replace Ginsburg on the high court has led to sharp rebukes from Democrats who point to McConnell’s efforts to block former President Obama from filling a Supreme Court vacancy months before the 2016 presidential election.

Hogan’s remarks echo those of two other Republican governors, Phil Scott of Vermont and Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, both of whom said the confirmation of a new justice should wait until after the November elections.

“While it is important to take the time to mourn her passing, we must also follow precedent, as well as her dying wishes, and delay the appointment process until after Inauguration Day,” said Scott, referring to remarks from Ginsburg’s granddaughter that the justice wished to be replaced by the next president.

“I urge President Trump and the U.S. Senate to allow the American people to cast their ballots for president before a new justice is nominated or confirmed,” added Baker.

Hogan has been an occasional critic of Trump and briefly considered waging a primary challenge against him this cycle. He is also considered a possible 2024 presidential candidate.