Ohio Politicians Weigh in on Supreme Court Nominee

President Donald Trump announced Judge Neil M. Gorsuch as his nominee for the open seat on the US Supreme Court on Tuesday night. Gorusch, 49, is a reliable conservative who authored a book about the wrongs of euthanasia and assisted suicide. His nomination was met with mixed reactions from prominent Ohio politicians.

Senator Sherrod Brown, Democrat, almost immediately announced his opposition to Gorusch. He issued a statement pledging his opposition to Trump's nominee, citing Gorusch's record on environmental regulation repeals, giving corporations the same rights as people, and hostility toward anti-discrimination protections. Part of Brown's statement is below.

“The people of Ohio deserve Supreme Court Justices who will defend the rights of working families over Wall Street and corporate special interests – and Judge Gorsuch’s record doesn’t pass that test. I cannot support any nominee who does not recognize that corporations are not people. The Supreme Court has enormous influence over the lives of everyday Ohioans, and any nominee must be willing to defend their rights to make their own healthcare decisions, collectively bargain for safe workplaces and fair pay, and to be protected from discrimination and Wall Street greed.”

Republican politicians met the nomination with more joy. Senator Rob Portman said Gorusch "has an outstanding record as a fair-minded, independent, and universally-respected judge." Governor John Kasich, who has never shied away from criticizing the president, said Gorush was eminently qualified and that Trump should be commended for nominating the judge.

Gorusch is no stranger to the halls of power. Though he grew up in Colorado, his mother was chosen by President Ronald Reagan as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency when he was a teenager, and the family moved to Washington, D.C.

Gorsuch is a relatively conventional, though certainly conservative, choice; he was nominated by George W. Bush to the 10th Circuit Appeals Court, where he now sits.

He was also friends with the late Justice Antonin Scalia.

Photo credit: Federalist Society

Cody Fenwick, Patch, contributed to this story