Most Alabama voters want President Donald Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court to be confirmed, according to a poll commissioned by an organization spending millions of dollars on his behalf.
The Judicial Crisis Network on Monday released results of the poll, conducted by North Star Opinion Research in four states testing support for Brett Kavanaugh. The poll found that Alabama voters, by a margin of 54 percent to 30 percent, believe the Senate should confirm Kavanaugh. That was the same margin of support for Kavanaugh among independents in Alabama.
Respondents also expressed approval of the Supreme Court’s job performance by a margin of 60 percent to 30 percent.
The Judicial Crisis Network also announced $1.5 million in online and broadcast television ads aimed at Democratic senators in the four states. That includes Sen. Doug Jones (D-Mountain Brook).
Of the four senators targeted in the ad buy, Jones is the only one not up for re-election in November.
Senate Republican leaders hope to confirm Kavanaugh, who currently serves as a judge on the D.C. Court of Appeals, in time for him to take his seat for the start of the Supreme Court term that begins in October.
The confirmation battle figures to be intense, and with only 51 seats and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) ailing, Republicans have little room for margin. Enter Jones — along with Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.). The latter three all voted for Trump’s first nominee to the high court, Justice Neil Gorsuch.
The ad running in Alabama sings the praises of Kavanaugh, who worked in the George W. Bush administration and previously clerked for retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy before his appointment to the bench.
“Now, we get to see who Doug Jones really is,” the announcer says, referring to the daily tension Jones faces between the conservative leanings of his constituents and the leaders of the Democratic Party.
“Will he side with the people of Alabama and support Kavanaugh? Or will he join radical liberal senators and try to block Kavanaugh?” the announcer continues, as the screen shows images of progressive Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Calif.). “Tell Doug Jones, his vote on Kavanaugh is something you’ll never forget.”
Representatives of the senator’s office did not immediately respond to inquiries seeking comment.
Jones has been noncommittal on Kavanaugh since Trump announced the pick earlier this month.
“I’ve got thoughts, but I’m not going to say,” he told reporters on Capitol Hill. “I want to do my investigative work. … We’ll go from there.”
During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” before Trump had settled on Kavanaugh, Jones said his mind was open.
“I don’t think anyone should expect me to simply vote yes for this nominee, just simply because my state may be more conservative than others,” he said.
The Judicial Crisis Network has launched three previous rounds of ads concerning the vacancy, beginning on June 27 — before Trump even had made his selection.
Manchin, Heitkamp and Donnelly have more immediate electoral concerns since they will be on the ballot in November. Jones, who won a special election in December to finish the term of Jeff Sessions, will not be up until 2020.
Jones has a mixed record when it comes to Trump’s nominations. He supported three Cabinet nominations — Alex Azar for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Mike Pompeo for secretary of state and — on Monday — Robert Wilkie for secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. But he voted against Gina Haspel to be CIA director, citing her record implementing the Bush administration’s policy on interrogation of terrorists.
The same has been true of judicial nominations. Just last week, Jones voted along with every other Democrat in a futile effort to sink the nomination of Andy Oldham to become a judge on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. He also opposed John Nalbandian for a seat on the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. That was notable because Heitkamp, Manchin and Donnelly — the three senators also targeted by the Judicial Crisis Network ads — voted in favor of the nomination.
On the other hand, Jones supported the nominations of Joel Carson to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver and was one of 13 Democrats to vote for Kurt Engelhardt to serve on the 5th Circuit.
Judicial Crisis Network leaders contend that defying Alabamians on a matter as consequential as the Supreme Court would be perilous.
“This is an important issue that the people of Alabama will not be able to forget when Doug Jones is up for re-election,” said Carrie Severino, the chief counsel and policy director of the group.
Severino said the vote puts Jones between Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and the voters of his own state.
“Does he want to represent the interests of his constituents, or does he want to represent the interests of Chuck Schumer?” she asked.
@BrendanKKirby is a senior political reporter at LifeZette and author of “Wicked Mobile.”
