More Good News For Democrats As Justice Clarence Thomas Eyes Post-Election Retirement

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Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 07:06 pm

A report is circulating that conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas may announce his retirement after the presidential election in November.

The Washington Examiner reported:
Justice Clarence Thomas, a reliable conservative vote on the Supreme Court, is mulling retirement after the presidential election, according to court watchers.

Thomas, appointed by former President George H.W. Bush and approved by the Senate after a bitter confirmation, has been considering retirement for a while and never planned to stay until he died, they said. He likes to spend summers in his RV with his wife.

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There is also speculation that Justice Anthony Kennedy may also retire. If Hillary Clinton wins the presidential election, and two conservative Supreme Court justices retire, the liberal majority on the highest court in the land could swell to a 7-2 margin.

The seat that is open due to the death of conservative Justice Scalia will either be filled by Obama nominee Merrick Garland, or by a Clinton nominee if she wins the election, and Republicans continue to obstruct Garland’s nomination in the Senate. With Donald Trump’s early crash and burn performance as the leader of the Republican Party, it is possible that Democrats will not only get a chance to take back the Senate, but the new Democratic Senate majority could also confirm a liberal justice to replace the conservative Thomas in 2017.

Republicans may be haunted for decades by their decision to nominate Trump if his loss results in a large liberal majority on the Supreme Court. It is a long time until Election Day, but the good news keeps coming for Democrats, and if they work hard and have success in November, the era of the conservative Supreme Court will be finished.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association