Thune says he’ll vote to confirm Kavanaugh to Supreme Court

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota U.S. Sen. John Thune says he will vote to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

Thune announced his support Wednesday after meeting with President Donald Trump’s nominee to replace the retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy.

The Republican senator says he’s confident that Kavanaugh “has exactly what it takes to defend the Constitution and call balls and strikes from the bench.”

Thune says over the course of his judicial career, Kavanaugh has demonstrated his commitment to deciding cases based on law, not on his own opinions.

Thune also calls Kavanaugh a “well-qualified, mainstream jurist,” and said that he hopes both Republican and Democratic senators will reach the same conclusion.