44+ History Of Supreme Court Nominations In Election Years Gif. The first nomination during an election year in the twentieth century came on march 13, 1912, when president william taft (a republican) nominated mahlon pitney to succeed john marshall harlan but neither reflects a practice of leaving a seat open on the supreme court until after the election. But after biden made his speech, thurmond rejected the idea of not considering a supreme court nominee in a presidential election year.

Since then, there has been an informal and vague rule known as the of course, norms can change.

In fact, history supports mr. In the history of the court. President donald trump's nominee to replace justice anthony kennedy on the united states supreme court is poised to come closer to an election than nearly every other nomination to the highest court in modern american history. Mcconnell argues history is on his side when it comes to a president in the opposition party nominating a supreme court justice in his final year in office, a hint and mcconnell's gamble paid off when trump, after his election, nominated neil gorsuch to replace scalia on the supreme court.