President Joe Biden nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on Friday to replace Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court, marking the first time an African American woman has been nominated for the position. Jackson, who currently sits on Washington D.C.’s federal appellate court, was widely seen as the frontrunner for the position, although Judge J. Michelle Childs and California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger were also under consideration. 

Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) have both expressed support for her confirmation, along with Rep. Mondaire Jones (NY-17), saying in a press release that, “Ketanji Brown Jackson is an intellectual heavyweight and highly regarded jurist who has dedicated her life and career to the service of others. I applaud President Biden for making history with this nomination, as well as for making the perfect choice, and I look forward to the Senate’s timely consideration of Judge Jackson.” 

If confirmed, she would be the third African American to serve on the Supreme Court, alongside former and current Justices Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas. Her nomination is not expected to change the ideological composition of the court once Breyer retires.