Loretta Lynch, President Barack Obama’s pick to replace outgoing U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., is reportedly winning over some key Republican lawmakers ahead of what is expected to be contentious nomination hearings early next year, according to Politico.
The U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York reportedly has met with several key Republican senators, winning some of their early support, the report says. Although some Republicans have vowed to use the nomination to challenge the president’s executive actions on immigration, Lynch’s early success signals that the fight may not hurt her prospects of becoming the nation’s next chief law-enforcement official, the report says.
Several key Republican senators have said in interviews with Politico that they met with Lynch privately and are inclined to vote in favor of her nomination. So far the list of supporters includes Arizona’s two senators, John McCain and Jeff Flake, and Nebraska’s Deb Fischer, Politico writes. Republicans will control both houses of Congress starting in January.
“I want to see what happens in the hearings,” McCain told the political news site. “But certainly I’m supportive.”
Asked whether she was leaning toward backing Lynch, Fischer replied, “I would say yes, unless something comes up during the hearings.”
If confirmed, Lynch would become the first black female head of the Department of Justice. Few have found fault with Lynch, and some Republicans have praised the career prosecutor’s résumé. She has been confirmed twice by the Senate as a U.S. attorney in New York, and that position has given her the background in key issues faced daily by the Justice Department, the report notes.
Read more at Politico.