The U.S. Senate voted to confirm President Donald Trump’s nomination of Allen Winsor to serve as a federal district court judge for the Northern District of Florida on Wednesday.
The nomination passed the Senate on a 54-44 vote which mostly followed party lines. Florida’s two senators voted to confirm Winsor and were happy to see his nomination cross the finish line.
“For the fifth time this year, the Senate has confirmed a Florida federal district court judge to ensure our state’s federal courts continue to function at the highest level,” said U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. “Judge Winsor has served the State of Florida well since 2013, and I know he will continue that service in his new role as a federal district court judge for the Northern District of Florida.”
“I’m thrilled the Senate voted to confirm Allen Winsor to serve as a district judge in the Northern District,” said U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., on Wednesday afternoon. Throughout his career, Judge Winsor has demonstrated a respect for the separation of powers and a devotion to the role of the judiciary in our democratic system. As governor, I had the honor of appointing Judge Winsor to the First District Court of Appeal in 2016, and I know he will continue to fairly uphold the rule of law and serve our state and nation well.”
Democrats and their allies on the left lined up against the nomination.
Kristine Lucius, the executive vice president for policy and government affairs at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, offered some of the reasons why Democrats had opposed the nomination.
“Allen Winsor possesses the qualities that Donald Trump seeks in his judges: a young, conservative operative with little experience who is incapable of being neutral or fair-minded as is required from a federal judge serving in a lifetime position,” Lucius said after the vote on Wednesday. “Winsor has attempted to roll back civil rights protections – including restricting voting rights, attacking LGBTQ equality, and limiting reproductive freedom. And like so many of Trump’s nominees, Winsor does not simply represent his clients’ interests – he shares their agenda.”
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