Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, a moderate Republican, took
himself out of consideration for appointment to the US Supreme Court on
Thursday as Senate Republicans dug in on their vow not to act on any
nominee by President Barack Obama.
Asked if the White House was disappointed by Sandoval's decision,
Obama spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters, "He's obviously entitled to
make decisions about his own career."
Sandoval's name surfaced as a possible nominee on Wednesday, but
Senate Republicans quickly said they still would not hold hearings or
vote on any Obama nominee to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the
Feb. 13 death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia. Obama's appointee
could pivot the court to the left for the first time in decades.
Sandoval, a Mexican-American who was Nevada's first Hispanic governor, did not offer a reason for his withdrawal.
