Supreme Court Nominations (1789-Present)

The Constitution requires the president to submit nominations to the Senate for its advice and consent. Since the Supreme Court was established in 1789, presidents have submitted 165 nominations for the Court, including those for chief justice. Of this total, 128 were confirmed (7 declined to serve). This chart lists nominations officially submitted to the Senate.

�

Nominee	To Replace	Nominated*	Vote**	Result & Date***
President Biden, Joseph R., Jr.
Jackson, Ketanji Brown	Breyer	Feb 28, 2022	53-47� No. �134	C	Apr 7, 2022
President Trump, Donald
Barrett, Amy Coney	Ginsburg	Sep 29, 2020	52-48� No. �224	C	Oct 26, 2020
Kavanaugh, Brett	Kennedy	Jul 10, 2018	50-48� No. �223	C	Oct 6, 2018
Gorsuch, Neil M.	Scalia	Feb 1, 2017	54-45� No. �111	C	Apr 7, 2017
President Obama, Barack
Garland, Merrick B.	Scalia	Mar 16, 2016		N
Kagan, Elena	Stevens	May 10, 2010	63-37� No. �229	C	Aug 5, 2010
Sotomayor, Sonia	Souter	Jun 1, 2009	68-31� No. �262	C	Aug 6, 2009
President Bush, George W.
Alito, Samuel A., Jr.	O'Connor	Nov 10, 2005	58-42� No. �2	C	Jan 31, 2006
Miers, Harriet	O'Connor	Oct 7, 2005		W	Oct 28, 2005
Roberts, John G., Jr.¹	Rehnquist	Sep 6, 2005	78-22� No. �245	C	Sep 29, 2005
Roberts, John G., Jr.	O'Connor	Jul 29, 2005		W	Sep 6, 2005
President Clinton, Bill
Breyer, Stephen G.	Blackmun	May 17, 1994	87-9� No. �242	C	Jul 29, 1994
Ginsburg, Ruth Bader	White	Jun 22, 1993	96-3� No. �232	C	Aug 3, 1993
President Bush, George H.W.
Thomas, Clarence	Marshall	Jul 8, 1991	52-48� No. �220	C	Oct 15, 1991
Souter, David H.	Brennan	Jul 25, 1990	90-9� No. �259	C	Oct 2, 1990
President Reagan, Ronald
Kennedy, Anthony M.	Powell	Nov 30, 1987	97-0� No. �16	C	Feb 3, 1988
Bork, Robert H.	Powell	Jul 7, 1987	42-58� No. �348	R	Oct 23, 1987
Scalia, Antonin	Rehnquist	Jun 24, 1986	98-0� No. �267	C	Sep 17, 1986
Rehnquist, William H. ²	Burger	Jun 20, 1986	65-33� No. �266	C	Sep 17, 1986
O'Connor, Sandra Day	Stewart	Aug 19, 1981	99-0� No. �274	C	Sep 21, 1981
President Ford, Gerald
Stevens, John Paul	Douglas	Nov 28, 1975	98-0� No. �603	C	Dec 17, 1975
President Nixon, Richard
Rehnquist, William H.	Harlan	Oct 22, 1971	68-26� No. �450	C	Dec 10, 1971
Powell, Lewis F., Jr.	Black	Oct 22, 1971	89-1� No. �439	C	Dec 6, 1971
Blackmun, Harry	Fortas	Apr 15, 1970	94-0� No. �143	C	May 12, 1970
Carswell, G. Harrold	Fortas	Jan 19, 1970	45-51� No. �122	R	Apr 8, 1970
Haynsworth, Clement, Jr.	Fortas	Aug 21, 1969	45-55� No. �154	R	Nov 21, 1969
Burger, Warren ³	Warren	May 23, 1969	74-3� No. �35	C	Jun 9, 1969
President Johnson, Lyndon
Thornberry, Homer	Fortas	Jun 26, 1968		W	Oct 4, 1968
Fortas, Abe ⁴	Warren	Jun 26, 1968		W	Oct 4, 1968
Marshall, Thurgood	Clark	Jun 13, 1967	69-11� No. �240	C	Aug 30, 1967
Fortas, Abe	Goldberg	Jul 28, 1965	V	C	Aug 11, 1965
President Kennedy, John
Goldberg, Arthur	Frankfurter	Aug 31, 1962	V	C	Sep 25, 1962
White, Byron	Whittaker	Apr 3, 1962	V	C	Apr 11, 1962
President Eisenhower, Dwight
Stewart, Potter	Burton	Jan 17, 1959	70-17	C	May 5, 1959
Whittaker, Charles	Reed	Mar 2, 1957	V	C	Mar 19, 1957
Brennan, William, Jr.	Minton	Jan 14, 1957	V	C	Mar 19, 1957
Harlan, John	Jackson	Jan 10, 1955	71-11	C	Mar 16, 1955
Harlan, John	Jackson	Nov 9, 1954		N
Warren, Earl ⁵	Vinson	Jan 11, 1954	V	C	Mar 1, 1954
President Truman, Harry
Minton, Sherman	Rutledge	Sep 15, 1949	48-16	C	Oct 4, 1949
Clark, Tom	Murphy	Aug 2, 1949	73-8	C	Aug 18, 1949
Vinson, Fred ⁶	Stone	Jun 6, 1946	V	C	Jun 20, 1946
Burton, Harold	Roberts	Sep 18, 1945	V	C	Sep 19, 1945
President Roosevelt, Franklin
Rutledge, Wiley	Byrnes	Jan 11, 1943	V	C	Feb 8, 1943
Jackson, Robert	Stone	Jun 12, 1941	V	C	Jul 7, 1941
Byrnes, James	McReynolds	Jun 12, 1941	V	C	Jun 12, 1941
Stone, Harlan ⁷	Hughes	Jun 12, 1941	V	C	Jun 27, 1941
Murphy, Frank	Butler	Jan 4, 1940	V	C	Jan 16, 1940
Douglas, William	Brandeis	Mar 20, 1939	62-4	C	Apr 4, 1939
Frankfurter, Felix	Cardozo	Jan 5, 1939	V	C	Jan 17, 1939
Reed, Stanley	Sutherland	Jan 15, 1938	V	C	Jan 25, 1938
Black, Hugo	Van Devanter	Aug 12, 1937	63-16	C	Aug 17, 1937
President Hoover, Herbert
Cardozo, Benjamin	Holmes	Feb 15, 1932	V	C	Feb 24, 1932
Roberts, Owen	Sanford	May 9, 1930	V	C	May 20, 1930
Parker, John	Sanford	Mar 21, 1930	39-41	R	May 7, 1930
Hughes, Charles ⁸	Taft	Feb 3, 1930	52-26	C	Feb 13, 1930
President Coolidge, Calvin
Stone, Harlan	McKenna	Jan 5, 1925	71-6	C	Feb 5, 1925
President Harding, Warren
Sanford, Edward	Pitney	Jan 24, 1923	V	C	Jan 29, 1923
Butler, Pierce	Day	Dec 5, 1922	61-8	C	Dec 21, 1922
Butler, Pierce	Day	Nov 21, 1922		N
Sutherland, George	Clarke	Sep 5, 1922	V	C	Sep 5, 1922
Taft, William ⁹	White	Jun 30, 1921	60-4	C	Jun 30, 1921
President Wilson, Woodrow
Clarke, John	Hughes	Jul 14, 1916	V	C	Jul 24, 1916
Brandeis, Louis	Lamar	Jan 28, 1916	47-22	C	Jun 1, 1916
McReynolds, James	Lurton	Aug 19, 1914	44-6	C	Aug 29, 1914
President Taft, William
Pitney, Mahlon	Harlan	Feb 19, 1912	50-26	C	Mar 13, 1912
Lamar, Joseph	Moody	Dec 12, 1910	V	C	Dec 15, 1910
Devanter, Willis Van	White	Dec 12, 1910	V	C	Dec 15, 1910
White, Edward¹⁰	Fuller	Dec 12, 1910	V	C	Dec 12, 1910
Hughes, Charles	Brewer	Apr 25, 1910	V	C	May 2, 1910
Lurton, Horace	Peckham	Dec 13, 1909	V	C	Dec 20, 1909
President Roosevelt, Theodore
Moody, William	Brown	Dec 3, 1906	V	C	Dec 12, 1906
Day, William	Shiras	Feb 19, 1903	V	C	Feb 23, 1903
Holmes, Oliver	Gray	Dec 2, 1902	V	C	Dec 4, 1902
President McKinley, William
McKenna, Joseph	Field	Dec 16, 1897	V	C	Jan 21, 1898
President Cleveland, Grover
Peckham, Rufus	Jackson	Dec 3, 1895	V	C	Dec 9, 1895
White, Edward	Blatchford	Feb 19, 1894	V	C	Feb 19, 1894
Peckham, Wheeler	Blatchford	Jan 22, 1894	32-41	R	Feb 16, 1894
Hornblower, William	Blatchford	Dec 5, 1893	24-30	R	Jan 15, 1894
Hornblower, William	Blatchford	Sep 19, 1893		N
President Harrison, Benjamin
Jackson, Howell	Lamar	Feb 2, 1893	V	C	Feb 18, 1893
Shiras, George, Jr.	Bradley	Jul 19, 1892	V	C	Jul 26, 1892
Brown, Henry	Miller	Dec 23, 1890	V	C	Dec 29, 1890
Brewer, David	Matthews	Dec 4, 1889	53-11	C	Dec 18, 1889
President Cleveland, Grover
Fuller, Melville ¹¹	Waite	Apr 30, 1888	41-20	C	Jul 20, 1888
Lamar, Lucius	Woods	Dec 6, 1887	32-28	C	Jan 16, 1888
President Arthur, Chester
Blatchford, Samuel	Hunt	Mar 13, 1882	V	C	Mar 22, 1882
Conkling, Roscoe	Hunt	Feb 24, 1882	39-12	D	Mar 2, 1882
Gray, Horace	Clifford	Dec 19, 1881	51-5	C	Dec 20, 1881
President Garfield, James
Stanley Matthews	Swayne	Mar 14, 1881	24-23	C	May 12, 1881
President Hayes, Rutherford
Matthews, Stanley	Swayne	Jan 26, 1881		N
Woods, William	Strong	Dec 15, 1880	39-8	C	Dec 21, 1880
Harlan, John	Davis	Oct 16, 1877	V	C	Nov 29, 1877
President Grant, Ulysses
Waite, Morrison¹²	Chase	Jan 19, 1874	63-0	C	Jan 21, 1874
Cushing, Caleb¹³	Chase	Jan 9, 1874		W	Jan 13, 1874
Williams, George ¹⁴	Chase	Dec 1, 1873		W	Jan 8, 1874
Hunt, Ward	Nelson	Dec 3, 1872	V	C	Dec 11, 1872
Bradley, Joseph	(new seat)	Feb 7, 1870	46-9	C	Mar 21, 1870
Strong, William	Grier	Feb 7, 1870		C	Feb 18, 1870
Stanton, Edwin¹⁵	Grier	Dec 20, 1869	46-11	C	Dec 20, 1869
Hoar, Ebenezer	(new seat)	Dec 14, 1869	24-33	R	Feb 3, 1870
President Johnson, Andrew
Stanbery, Henry	Catron	Apr 16, 1866		N
President Lincoln, Abraham
Chase, Salmon ¹⁶	Taney	Dec 6, 1864	V	C	Dec 6, 1864
Field, Stephen	(new seat)	Mar 6, 1863	V	C	Mar 10, 1863
Davis, David	Campbell	Dec 1, 1862	V	C	Dec 8, 1862
Miller, Samuel	Daniel	Jul 16, 1862	V	C	Jul 16, 1862
Swayne, Noah	McLean	Jan 21, 1862	38-1	C	Jan 24, 1862
President Buchanan, James
Black, Jeremiah	Daniel	Feb 5, 1861	25-26	R	Feb 21, 1861
Clifford, Nathan	Curtis	Dec 9, 1857	26-23	C	Jan 12, 1858
President Pierce, Franklin
Campbell, John	McKinley	Mar 21, 1853	V	C	Mar 22, 1853
President Fillmore, Millard
Micou, William	McKinley	Feb 14, 1853		N
Badger, George	McKinley	Jan 3, 1853		W	Feb 14, 1853
Bradford, Edward	McKinley	Aug 16, 1852		N
Curtis, Benjamin	Woodbury	Dec 11, 1851	V	C	Dec 20, 1851
President Polk, James
Grier, Robert	Baldwin	Aug 3, 1846	V	C	Aug 4, 1846
Woodbury, Levi	Story	Dec 23, 1845	V	C	Jan 3, 1846
Woodward, George	Baldwin	Dec 23, 1845	20-29	R	Jan 22, 1846
President Tyler, John
Read, John	Baldwin	Feb 7, 1845		N
Nelson, Samuel	Thompson	Feb 4, 1845	V	C	Feb 14, 1845
Walworth, Reuben	Thompson	Dec 4, 1844		W	Feb 4, 1845
King, Edward	Baldwin	Dec 4, 1844		W	Feb 7, 1845
Walworth, Reuben ¹⁷	Thompson	Jun 17, 1844		N	Jun 17, 1844
Spencer, John	Thompson	Jun 17, 1844		W	Jun 17, 1844
King, Edward	Baldwin	Jun 5, 1844	29-18	P	Jun 15, 1844
Walworth, Reuben	Thompson	Mar 13, 1844	27-20	W	Jun 17, 1844
Spencer, John	Thompson	Jan 8, 1844	21-26	R	Jan 31, 1844
President Van Buren, Martin
Daniel, Peter	Barbour	Feb 26, 1841	25-5	C	Mar 2, 1841
McKinley, John	(new seat)	Sep 18, 1837	V	C	Sep 25, 1837
President Jackson, Andrew
Catron, John	(new seat)	Mar 3, 1837	28-15	C	Mar 8, 1837
Smith, William	(new seat)	Mar 3, 1837	23-18	D	Mar 8, 1837
Barbour, Philip	Duvall	Dec 28, 1835	30-11	C	Mar 15, 1836
Taney, Roger¹⁸	Marshall	Dec 28, 1835	29-15	C	Mar 15, 1836
Taney, Roger	Duvall	Jan 15, 1835	24-21	P	Mar 3, 1835
Wayne, James	Johnson	Jan 6, 1835	V	C	Jan 9, 1835
Baldwin, Henry	Washington	Jan 4, 1830	41-2	C	Jan 6, 1830
McLean, John	Trimble	Mar 6, 1829	V	C	Mar 7, 1829
President Adams, John Quincy
Crittenden, John	Trimble	Dec 17, 1828	23-17	P	Feb 12, 1829
Trimble, Robert	Todd	Apr 11, 1826	27-5	C	May 9, 1826
President Monroe, James
Thompson, Smith	Livingston	Dec 5, 1823	V	C	Dec 9, 1823
President Madison, James
Duvall, Gabriel	Chase	Nov 15, 1811	V	C	Nov 18, 1811
Story, Joseph	Cushing	Nov 15, 1811	V	C	Nov 18, 1811
Adams, John Quincy	Cushing	Feb 21, 1811		D	Feb 22, 1811
Wolcott, Alexander	Cushing	Feb 4, 1811	9-24	R	Feb 13, 1811
Lincoln, Levi	Cushing	Jan 2, 1811		D	Jan 3, 1811
President Jefferson, Thomas
Todd, Thomas	(new seat)	Feb 28, 1807	V	C	Mar 2, 1807
Livingston, H. Brockholst	Paterson	Dec 13, 1806	V	C	Dec 17, 1806
Johnson, William	Moore	Mar 22, 1804	V	C	Mar 24, 1804
President Adams, John
Marshall, John ¹⁹	Ellsworth	Jan 20, 1801	V	C	Jan 27, 1801
Jay, John ²⁰	Ellsworth	Dec 18, 1800		D	Dec 19, 1800
Moore, Alfred	Iredell	Dec 4, 1799	V	C	Dec 10, 1799
Washington, Bushrod	Wilson	Dec 19, 1798	V	C	Dec 20, 1798
President Washington, George
Ellsworth, Oliver²¹	Jay	Mar 3, 1796	21-1	C	Mar 4, 1796
Chase, Samuel	Blair	Jan 26, 1796	V	C	Jan 27, 1796
Cushing, William ²²	Jay	Jan 26, 1796		D	Jan 27, 1796
Rutledge, John ²³	Jay	Dec 10, 1795	10-14	R	Dec 15, 1795
Paterson, William	Johnson	Mar 4, 1793	V	C	Mar 4, 1793
Paterson, William	Johnson	Feb 27, 1793		W	Feb 28, 1793
Johnson, Thomas	Rutledge	Oct 31, 1791	V	C	Nov 7, 1791
Iredell, James	Harrison	Feb 8, 1790	V	C	Feb 10, 1790
Blair, John		Sep 24, 1789	V	C	Sep 26, 1789
Wilson, James		Sep 24, 1789	V	C	Sep 26, 1789
Harrison, Robert		Sep 24, 1789		D	Sep 26, 1789
Cushing, William		Sep 24, 1789	V	C	Sep 26, 1789
Rutledge, John		Sep 24, 1789	V	C	Sep 26, 1789
Jay, John ²⁴		Sep 24, 1789	V	C	Sep 26, 1789

�
This chart lists only nominations officially submitted to the Senate, and does not include nominations announced but never officially submitted (such as Douglas Ginsburg in 1987).
�
*The date of the nomination is the date on the president's letter to the Senate (except the undated 1937 Hugo Black letter). Some nominees may have been serving before this date under recess appointments.
�
**Vote Key:	***Result Key:
89-7 No. 242 (for example) - Tally and roll call vote number	C - Confirmed and served (121) ²⁵
V - Voice Vote	D - Declined (7)
�	N - No Action (10)
�	P - Postponed (3)
�	R - Rejected (12)
�	W - Withdrawn (12)
�
��1. Nominated to chief justice.
��2. Sitting justice elevated to chief justice.
��3. Nominated to chief justice.
��4. Sitting justice nominated to chief justice; nomination filibustered and withdrawn.
��5. Nominated to chief justice.
��6. Nominated to chief justice.
��7. Sitting justice elevated to chief justice.
��8. Nominated to chief justice.
��9. Nominated to chief justice.
��10. Sitting justice elevated to chief justice.
��11. Nominated to chief justice.
��12. Nominated to chief justice.
��13. Unsuccessful nominee for chief justice.
��14. Unsuccessful nominee for chief justice.
��15. Confirmed, but died before he took office.
��16. Nominated to chief justice.
��17. On motion to proceed to consider the nomination, an objection was made.
��18. Nominated to chief justice.
��19. Nominated to chief justice.
��20. Nominated to chief justice.
��21. Nominated to chief justice.
��22. Sitting justice nominated to chief justice, but declined and continued to serve as an associate justice.
��23. Offered his services as a replacement for the soon-to-retire John Jay in June 1795, so President Washington offered him a temporary commission (Senate was in recess). The Senate convened in December and voted on the nomination, making Rutledge the first rejected Supreme Court nominee and the only "recess appointed" justice not to be subsequently confirmed by the Senate.
��24. Nominated to chief justice.
��25.�7 nominees (see D in Result Key) were confirmed, but declined to serve.
Return to top of page
�