Two Biden Judicial Nominees Withdraw Names from Consideration

Two of President Joe Biden's judicial nominees, Spokane County, Washington, Superior Court Judge Charnelle Bjelkengren, and Colleen Holland of Rochester, New York, have withdrawn from consideration for federal trial court judgeships.

The nominations of these two, among five whose positions expired at the end of 2023, were not resubmitted by the White House on Monday for further Senate consideration.

A state court judge in Washington state and a law clerk to a federal judge in Rochester, New York who were both nominated by President Biden to become federal trial court judges have withdrawn their names from further consideration. https://t.co/oqdyTiZTr5

— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 10, 2024

While the fate of the remaining three nominees remains uncertain, Biden could potentially renominate them at a later date.

Both Bjelkengren and Holland confirmed in separate emails that they had requested the White House not to resubmit their names to the Democratic-led Senate.

Bjelkengren, nominated for the Eastern District of Washington, faced Republican opposition after being unable to answer questions about the Constitution during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in January 2023.

In her statement, she mentioned her request not to be renominated, citing the uncertainty of her confirmation and the desire to advance the federal judiciary's essential work.

Holland, nominated for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, made a personal decision to withdraw from consideration after careful thought.

Schumer's spokesperson stated that the senator respected Holland's decision and would work expeditiously with the administration to nominate a candidate for the vacant judicial position.

Holland, aged 39 at the time of her nomination, was one of Biden's youngest judicial nominees for a life-tenured position. She had worked at the district court since 2014, primarily as a law clerk for Chief Judge Elizabeth Wolford, an appointee of former President Barack Obama.

The other nominees not renominated on Monday include Scott Colom, a Mississippi district attorney, whose nomination was blocked last year by Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith.

The fate of District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman and San Diego Superior Court Judge Marian Gaston, the remaining nominees, remains unclear as they were not available for comment.