Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron has been named as one of 20 additional potential nominees for the U.S. Supreme Court by President Donald Trump, should Trump win reelection.
Cameron, the 34-year-old protege of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, was elected in November.
Cameron would be an unlikely choice for the high court, given his age and lack of experience. He was admitted to practice law nine years ago.
Dan Goldberg, legal director for Alliance for Justice, a liberal group, noted that the American Bar Association says federal judges should have at least 12 years in practice to serve on the lowest level of the federal bench, let alone the Supreme Court.
“A 34-year-old state AG seems an unlikely SCOTUS choice, given the court’s current composition and the relevant experience necessary to serve on the court,” said Carl Tobias, a law professor at Richmond University, who follows judicial nominations.
But Cameron has a powerful mentor in McConnell. A spokeswoman for the Kentucky Republican said he was consulted multiple times about the list, including the addition of Cameron.
Thapar, a former federal district judge in the Eastern District of Kentucky, would be the first Asian American on the Supreme Court. His family is from India. He also enjoys strong backing from McConnell.
Cameron is the first Black man ever elected as Kentucky attorney general and the first Republican elected to the office since 1944.
Cameron said in a statement that “it is an honor to be mentioned by President Trump.”
“I remain focused on serving the people of Kentucky and delivering on my promise to tackle child abuse, human trafficking, the drug epidemic and other public safety challenges throughout the commonwealth,” Cameron said.
“Over the last several years, President Trump and Leader McConnell have worked together to confirm more than 200 federal judges, transforming our judiciary and ensuring the rule of law is upheld for generations.”
Cameron, who spoke at the Republican National Convention, has been in the national spotlight over the past few months because his office will decide whether to charge three Louisville Metro Police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor, an unarmed Black woman, on March 13.
Read more:What to know about Daniel Cameron, Kentucky’s attorney general
Police say she was killed after her boyfriend fired one shot from inside her apartment that wounded a police sergeant. Three officers returned fire, hitting Taylor five times and killing her in her hallway.
Trump unveiled the list Wednesday of additional potential Supreme Court nominees, including three sitting Republican senators, should he be reelected as president in November.
The senators are Ted Cruz of Texas, Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Josh Hawley of Missouri.