U.S. Senate: Supreme Court Nominations: 1789-Present

Supreme Court Nominations, present-1789 (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 161 nominations for the Court, including those for chief justice. Of this total, 124 were confirmed (7 declined to serve). This chart lists nominations officially submitted to the Senate.

Nominee	To Replace	Nominated	Vote	Result & Date
President Barack Obama
Merrick Garland	Scalia	Mar 16, 2016
Elena Kagan	Stevens	May 10, 2010	63-37 No. 229	C	Aug 5, 2010
Sonia Sotomayor	Souter	Jun 1, 2009	68-31 No. 262	C	Aug 6, 2009
President George W. Bush
Samuel Alito, Jr.	O'Connor	Nov 10, 2005	58-42 No. 2	C	Jan 31, 2006
Harriet Miers	O'Connor	Oct 7, 2005		W	Oct 28, 2005
John Roberts, Jr.¹	Rehnquist	Sep 6, 2005	78-22 No. 245	C	Sep 29, 2005
John Roberts, Jr.	O'Connor	Jul 29, 2005		W	Sep 6, 2005
President Bill Clinton
Stephen Breyer	Blackmun	May 17, 1994	87-9 No. 242	C	Jul 29, 1994
Ruth Bader Ginsburg	White	Jun 14, 1993	96-3 No. 232	C	Aug 3, 1993
President George H.W. Bush
Clarence Thomas	Marshall	Jul 8, 1991	52-48 No. 220	C	Oct 15, 1991
David Souter	Brennan	Jul 25, 1990	90-9 No. 259	C	Oct 2, 1990
President Ronald Reagan
Anthony Kennedy	Powell	Nov 30, 1987	97-0 No. 16	C	Feb 3, 1988
Robert Bork	Powell	Jul 7, 1987	42-58 No. 348	R	Oct 23, 1987
Antonin Scalia	Rehnquist	Jun 24, 1986	98-0 No. 267	C	Sep 17, 1986
William Rehnquist²	Burger	Jun 20, 1986	65-33 No. 266	C	Sep 17, 1986
Sandra Day O'Connor	Stewart	Aug 19, 1981	99-0 No. 274	C	Sep 21, 1981
President Gerald Ford
John Paul Stevens	Douglas	Nov 28, 1975	98-0 No. 603	C	Dec 17, 1975
President Richard Nixon
William Rehnquist	Harlan	Oct 22, 1971	68-26 No. 450	C	Dec 10, 1971
Lewis Powell, Jr.	Black	Oct 22, 1971	89-1 No. 439	C	Dec 6, 1971
Harry Blackmun	Fortas	Apr 15, 1970	94-0 No. 143	C	May 12, 1970
G. Harrold Carswell	Fortas	Jan 19, 1970	45-51 No. 122	R	Apr 8, 1970
Clement Haynsworth, Jr.	Fortas	Aug 21, 1969	45-55 No. 154	R	Nov 21, 1969
Warren Burger³	Warren	May 23, 1969	74-3 No. 35	C	Jun 9, 1969
President Lyndon Johnson
Homer Thornberry	Fortas	Jun 26, 1968		W	Oct 4, 1968
Abe Fortas⁴	Warren	Jun 26, 1968		W	Oct 4, 1968
Thurgood Marshall	Clark	Jun 13, 1967	69-11 No. 240	C	Aug 30, 1967
Abe Fortas	Goldberg	Jul 28, 1965	V	C	Aug 11, 1965
President John Kennedy
Arthur Goldberg	Frankfurter	Aug 31, 1962	V	C	Sep 25, 1962
Byron White	Whittaker	Apr 3, 1962	V	C	Apr 11, 1962
President Dwight Eisenhower
Potter Stewart	Burton	Jan 17, 1959	70-17	C	May 5, 1959
Charles Whittaker	Reed	Mar 2, 1957	V	C	Mar 19, 1957
William Brennan, Jr.	Minton	Jan 14, 1957	V	C	Mar 19, 1957
John Harlan	Jackson	Jan 10, 1955	71-11	C	Mar 16, 1955
John Harlan	Jackson	Nov 9, 1954		N
Earl Warren⁵	Vinson	Jan 11, 1954	V	C	Mar 1, 1954
President Harry Truman
Sherman Minton	Rutledge	Sep 15, 1949	48-16	C	Oct 4, 1949
Tom Clark	Murphy	Aug 2, 1949	73-8	C	Aug 18, 1949
Fred Vinson⁶	Stone	Jun 6, 1946	V	C	Jun 20, 1946
Harold Burton	Roberts	Sep 19, 1945	V	C	Sep 19, 1945
President Franklin Roosevelt
Wiley Rutledge	Byrnes	Jan 11, 1943	V	C	Feb 8, 1943
Robert Jackson	Stone	Jun 12, 1941	V	C	Jul 7, 1941
James Byrnes	McReynolds	Jun 12, 1941	V	C	Jun 12, 1941
Harlan Stone⁷	Hughes	Jun 12, 1941	V	C	Jun 27, 1941
Frank Murphy	Butler	Jan 4, 1940	V	C	Jan 16, 1940
William Douglas	Brandeis	Mar 20, 1939	62-4	C	Apr 4, 1939
Felix Frankfurter	Cardozo	Jan 5, 1939	V	C	Jan 17, 1939
Stanley Reed	Sutherland	Jan 15, 1938	V	C	Jan 25, 1938
Hugo Black	Van Devanter	Aug 12, 1937	63-16	C	Aug 17, 1937
President Herbert Hoover
Benjamin Cardozo	Holmes	Feb 15, 1932	V	C	Feb 24, 1932
Owen Roberts	Sanford	May 9, 1930	V	C	May 20, 1930
John Parker	Sanford	Mar 21, 1930	39-41	R	May 7, 1930
Charles Hughes⁸	Taft	Feb 3, 1930	52-26	C	Feb 13, 1930
President Calvin Coolidge
Harlan Stone	McKenna	Jan 5, 1925	71-6	C	Feb 5, 1925
President Warren Harding
Edward Sanford	Pitney	Jan 24, 1923	V	C	Jan 29, 1923
Pierce Butler	Day	Dec 5, 1922	61-8	C	Dec 21, 1922
Pierce Butler	Day	Nov 21, 1922		N
George Sutherland	Clarke	Sep 5, 1922	V	C	Sep 5, 1922
William Taft⁹	White	Jun 30, 1921	V	C	Jun 30, 1921
President Woodrow Wilson
John Clarke	Hughes	Jul 14, 1916	V	C	Jul 24, 1916
Louis Brandeis	Lamar	Jan 28, 1916	47-22	C	Jun 1, 1916
James McReynolds	Lurton	Aug 19, 1914	44-6	C	Aug 29, 1914
President William Taft
Mahlon Pitney	Harlan	Feb 19, 1912	50-26	C	Mar 13, 1912
Joseph Lamar	Moody	Dec 12, 1910	V	C	Dec 15, 1910
Willis Van Devanter	White	Dec 12, 1910	V	C	Dec 15, 1910
Edward White¹⁰	Fuller	Dec 12, 1910	V	C	Dec 12, 1910
Charles Hughes	Brewer	Apr 25, 1910	V	C	May 2, 1910
Horace Lurton	Peckham	Dec 13, 1909	V	C	Dec 20, 1909
President Theodore Roosevelt
William Moody	Brown	Dec 3, 1906	V	C	Dec 12, 1906
William Day	Shiras	Feb 19, 1903	V	C	Feb 23, 1903
Oliver Holmes	Gray	Dec 2, 1902	V	C	Dec 4, 1902
President William McKinley
Joseph McKenna	Field	Dec 16, 1897	V	C	Jan 21, 1898
President Grover Cleveland
Rufus Peckham	Jackson	Dec 3, 1895	V	C	Dec 9, 1895
Edward White	Blatchford	Feb 19, 1894	V	C	Feb 19, 1894
Wheeler Peckham	Blatchford	Jan 22, 1894	32-41	R	Feb 16, 1894
William Hornblower	Blatchford	Dec 5, 1893	24-30	R	Jan 15, 1894
William Hornblower	Blatchford	Sep 19, 1893		N
President Benjamin Harrison
Howell Jackson	Lamar	Feb 2, 1893	V	C	Feb 18, 1893
George Shiras, Jr.	Bradley	Jul 19, 1892	V	C	Jul 26, 1892
Henry Brown	Miller	Dec 23, 1890	V	C	Dec 29, 1890
David Brewer	Matthews	Dec 4, 1889	53-11	C	Dec 18, 1889
President Grover Cleveland
Melville Fuller¹¹	Waite	Apr 30, 1888	41-20	C	Jul 20, 1888
Lucius Lamar	Woods	Dec 6, 1887	32-28	C	Jan 16, 1888
President Chester Arthur
Samuel Blatchford	Hunt	Mar 13, 1882	V	C	Mar 22, 1882
Roscoe Conkling	Hunt	Feb 24, 1882	39-12	D	Mar 2, 1882
Horace Gray	Clifford	Dec 19, 1881	51-5	C	Dec 20, 1881
President James Garfield
Stanley Matthews	Swayne	Mar 14, 1881	24-23	C	May 12, 1881
President Rutherford Hayes
Stanley Matthews	Swayne	Jan 26, 1881		N
William Woods	Strong	Dec 15, 1880	39-8	C	Dec 21, 1880
John Harlan	Davis	Oct 16, 1877	V	C	Nov 29, 1877
President Ulysses Grant
Morrison Waite¹²	Chase	Jan 19, 1874	63-0	C	Jan 21, 1874
Caleb Cushing¹³	Chase	Jan 9, 1874		W	Jan 13, 1874
George Williams¹⁴	Chase	Dec 1, 1873		W	Jan 8, 1874
Ward Hunt	Nelson	Dec 3, 1872	V	C	Dec 11, 1872
Joseph Bradley	(new seat)	Feb 7, 1870	46-9	C	Mar 21, 1870
William Strong	Grier	Feb 7, 1870		C	Feb 18, 1870
Edwin Stanton¹⁵	Grier	Dec 20, 1869	46-11	C	Dec 20, 1869
Ebenezer Hoar	(new seat)	Dec 14, 1869	24-33	R	Feb 3, 1870
President Andrew Johnson
Henry Stanbery	Catron	Apr 16, 1866		N
President Abraham Lincoln
Salmon Chase¹⁶	Taney	Dec 6, 1864	V	C	Dec 6, 1864
Stephen Field	(new seat)	Mar 6, 1863	V	C	Mar 10, 1863
David Davis	Campbell	Dec 1, 1862	V	C	Dec 8, 1862
Samuel Miller	Daniel	Jul 16, 1862	V	C	Jul 16, 1862
Noah Swayne	McLean	Jan 21, 1862	38-1	C	Jan 24, 1862
President James Buchanan
Jeremiah Black	Daniel	Feb 5, 1861	25-26	R	Feb 21, 1861
Nathan Clifford	Curtis	Dec 9, 1857	26-23	C	Jan 12, 1858
President Franklin Pierce
John Campbell	McKinley	Mar 21, 1853	V	C	Mar 22, 1853
President Millard Fillmore
William Micou	McKinley	Feb 14, 1853		N
Geoge Badger	McKinley	Jan 3, 1853		W	Feb 14, 1853
Edward Bradford	McKinley	Aug 16, 1852		N
Benjamin Curtis	Woodbury	Dec 11, 1851	V	C	Dec 20, 1851
President James Polk
Robert Grier	Baldwin	Aug 3, 1846	V	C	Aug 4, 1846
Levi Woodbury	Story	Dec 23, 1845	V	C	Jan 31, 1846
George Woodward	Baldwin	Dec 23, 1845	20-29	R	Jan 22, 1846
President John Tyler
John Read	Baldwin	Feb 7, 1845		N
Samuel Nelson	Thompson	Feb 4, 1845	V	C	Feb 14, 1845
Reuben Walworth	Thompson	Dec 4, 1844		W	Feb 4, 1845
Edward King	Baldwin	Dec 4, 1844		W	Feb 7, 1845
Reuben Walworth¹⁷	Thompson	Jun 17, 1844		N	Jun 17, 1844
John Spencer	Thompson	Jun 17, 1844		W	Jun 17, 1844
Edward King	Baldwin	Jun 5, 1844	29-18	P	Jun 15, 1844
Reuben Walworth	Thompson	Mar 13, 1844	27-20	W	Jun 17, 1844
John Spencer	Thompson	Jan 9, 1844	21-26	R	Jan 31, 1844
President Martin Van Buren
Peter Daniel	Barbour	Feb 26, 1841	25-5	C	Mar 2, 1841
John McKinley	(new seat)	Sep 18, 1837	V	C	Sep 25, 1837
President Andrew Jackson
John Catron	(new seat)	Mar 3, 1837	28-15	C	Mar 8, 1837
William Smith	(new seat)	Mar 3, 1837	23-18	D	Mar 8, 1837
Philip Barbour	Duvall	Dec 28, 1835	30-11	C	Mar 15, 1836
Roger Taney¹⁸	Marshall	Dec 28, 1835	29-15	C	Mar 15, 1836
Roger Taney	Duvall	Jan 15, 1835	24-21	P	Mar 3, 1835
James Wayne	Johnson	Jan 6, 1835	V	C	Jan 9, 1835
Henry Baldwin	Washington	Jan 4, 1830	41-2	C	Jan 6, 1830
John McLean	Trimble	Mar 6, 1829	V	C	Mar 7, 1829
President John Quincy Adams
John Crittenden	Trimble	Dec 17, 1828	23-17	P	Feb 12, 1829
Robert Trimble	Todd	Apr 11, 1826	27-5	C	May 9, 1826
President James Monroe
Smith Thompson	Livingston	Dec 5, 1823	V	C	Dec 9, 1823
President James Madison
Gabriel Duvall	Chase	Nov 15, 1811	V	C	Nov 18, 1811
Joseph Story	Cushing	Nov 15, 1811	V	C	Nov 18, 1811
John Quincy Adams	Cushing	Feb 21, 1811		D	Feb 22, 1811
Alexander Wolcott	Cushing	Feb 4, 1811	9-24	R	Feb 13, 1811
Levi Lincoln	Cushing	Jan 2, 1811		D	Jan 3, 1811
President Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Todd	(new seat)	Feb 28, 1807	V	C	Mar 2, 1807
H. Brockholst Livingston	Paterson	Dec 13, 1806	V	C	Dec 17, 1806
William Johnson	Moore	Mar 22, 1804	V	C	Mar 24, 1804
President John Adams
John Marshall¹⁹	Ellsworth	Jan 20, 1801	V	C	Jan 27, 1801
John Jay²⁰	Ellsworth	Dec 18, 1800		D	Dec 19, 1800
Alfred Moore	Iredell	Dec 4, 1799	V	C	Dec 10, 1799
Bushrod Washington	Wilson	Dec 19, 1798	V	C	Dec 20, 1798
President George Washington
Oliver Ellsworth²¹	Jay	Mar 3, 1796	21-1	C	Mar 4, 1796
Samuel Chase	Blair	Jan 26, 1796	V	C	Jan 27, 1796
William Cushing²²	Jay	Jan 26, 1796		D	Jan 27, 1796
John Rutledge²³	Jay	Dec 10, 1795	10-14	R	Dec 15, 1795
William Paterson	Johnson	Mar 4, 1793	V	C	Mar 4, 1793
William Paterson	Johnson	Feb 27, 1793		W	Feb 28, 1793
Thomas Johnson	Rutledge	Nov 1, 1791	V	C	Nov 7, 1791
James Iredell	Harrison	Feb 8, 1790	V	C	Feb 10, 1790
John Blair		Sep 24, 1789	V	C	Sep 26, 1789
James Wilson		Sep 24, 1789	V	C	Sep 26, 1789
Robert Harrison		Sep 24, 1789		D	Sep 26, 1789
William Cushing		Sep 24, 1789	V	C	Sep 26, 1789
John Rutledge		Sep 24, 1789	V	C	Sep 26, 1789
John Jay²⁴		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 (117) ²⁵
V - Voice Vote	D - Declined (7)
	N - No Action (9)
	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.
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