The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee narrowly advanced the nomination of St. Louis lawyer Stephen Clark for a federal judgeship, suggesting his final confirmation could be close.
The committee voted 11-10 Thursday to approve Clark's nomination by President Donald Trump to be a judge in the Eastern District of Missouri. Clark was one of about a dozen judicial nominees approved Thursday.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports some civil rights and gay rights organizations wrote letters to the committee opposing Clark's nomination, citing statements he made about abortion, gay rights, and other issues.
All 10 Democrats on the committee voted against sending Clark's nomination to the full Senate.
Carl Tobias, a professor who is an expert in federal courts. predicted the Senate will probably confirm Clark but the vote may be close.
