This week, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly backed President Donald Trump’s nomination of Kent Wetherell to serve as a federal district court judge for the Northern District of Florida.
The Senate voted to confirm Wetherell on a 82-16 vote on Tuesday with all of the opposition coming from the ranks of the Democrats. Florida’s two Republican U.S. senators–Marco Rubio and Rick Scott–voted to confirm him.
Both Rubio and Scott weighed in on the new judge on Wednesday.
“Judge Wetherell has served the state of Florida well for two decades and I am confident he will continue to serve honorably as a federal district court judge for the Northern District of Florida,” Rubio said. “With Judge Wetherell’s confirmation, the Senate has now confirmed seven nominees to Florida’s federal courts since 2018, ensuring our state’s federal judicial system continues to function at the highest level.”
“I’m glad the Senate voted to confirm Judge Kent Wetherell to serve as a district judge in the Northern District today. Judge Wetherell has devoted himself to a career in public service for the past 20 years, and served in the Florida Attorney General’s Office and as an appellate judge on Florida’s First District Court of Appeal for the past decade. I’m confident Judge Wetherell will continue to serve our state and nation well, and I am proud to support his confirmation to the federal bench,” Scott said.
Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com.
