Biden judicial nominees have unlikely ally: Lindsey Graham

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Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has supported the majority of President Biden’s federal judicial nominees so far, according to a Fox News Digital analysis of his voting record. 

Graham's frequent support for Biden judicial nominees could simplify the confirmation process for Biden's forthcoming Supreme Court nominee. 

Since his term in office began, Biden has seen 41 of his federal judicial nominations confirmed to the bench by the Senate.

Of the 41 confirmations, Graham has supported 25 of them, meaning the South Carolina senator has voted in favor of more than 60% of the confirmed nominees.

LINDSEY GRAHAM BREAKS WITH MOST REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES BY SUPPORTING BIDEN JUDICIAL NOMINEES

Sen. Lindsey Graham has backed a majority of Biden's judicial nominees.  (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

One of the nominees supported by Graham was Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who is the front-runner on Biden’s short list to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.

Graham voted against five of the confirmed judges and did not vote on 11 of the nominations.

When asked about the senator’s voting process for judicial nominees and if he would support a potential nomination of Jackson to the Supreme Court, Graham’s office pointed to the office’s October statement on the senator’s judicial nominee voting record.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is on President Biden's short list to replace Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

"When the president wins the White House, they have the right to pick the judges of their choosing," a member of Graham's office told Fox News, stating that the senator "believes the constitutional and historical standards are what should be used for judges."

In a political environment that has become highly polarized – particularly when it comes to presidential nominations – Graham’s approach to judicial nominations harkens back to earlier times when judges were approved based on qualifications instead of ideology.

President Biden has pledged to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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The Republican Graham voted to confirm both of President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominees, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, even though "he did not agree with them," they added. "Only in the most unusual circumstances should you vote against a nominee."

The senator raised that point during the Senate’s last consideration of a Supreme Court nominee that saw Justice Amy Coney Barrett confirmed.

Fox News’ Ronn Blitzer contributed reporting.