The Senate on Monday voted 72-16 to confirm U.S. District Judge Andre Davis of Baltimore to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, giving Democratic-nominated judges a 6-5 majority on a court that has previously taken conservative positions on abortion rights and other contentious issues, the AP/Washington Post reports.

Davis became President Obama's sixth court nominee to be confirmed, including Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Immediately after Davis was confirmed, the Senate voted 88-0 to confirm Obama's seventh nominee, Charlene Edwards Honeywell, for a district court seat in Florida.

Prior to Monday's vote, there were 21 empty positions on federal appellate courts and 76 at federal district courts. Because the Supreme Court hears a relatively small number of cases each year, federal appellate courts are usually the final stop for many controversial legal cases.

The 4th Circuit hears appeals from the Carolinas, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Before Davis' confirmation, five of its 15 seats were vacant. Obama has made three other nominations for the remaining four slots (Margasak, AP/Washington Post, 11/10).

Reid To Move on Hamilton Vote

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he will move forward with a confirmation vote on U.S. District Court Judge David Hamilton to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, which hears appeals from Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin, CQ Today reports. Republicans have sought to block that nomination, but Reid said he will pursue a cloture process, which would force the Senate to take up Hamilton's nomination if 60 senators vote for cloture. The cloture vote likely will occur next week. According to CQ Today, Republicans consider Hamilton controversial because he supports abortion rights and claim he will pursue a political agenda (Perine, CQ Today, 11/9).

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