Neil Gorsuch, a highly regarded conservative Colorado judge, has emerged as a top contender for President Trump's first nomination for the Supreme Court, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Gorsuch was originally listed among the 21 possible high court picks by Trump's team during the election. His profile has increased as several admirers and supporters have been appointed to posts in the Trump administration, according to the newspaper.
The 49-year-old jurist now serves on the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver.
Trump's selection to the high court would fill the vacancy created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.
Gorsuch does not have a record of strident comments that would spark a confirmation battle, the newspaper noted.
"He is very bright, well-respected and quite personable," said John Malcolm, a lawyer at the Heritage Foundation. "And there's no question he would not be as contentious as some others."
His late mother, Anne Gorsuch Burford, had a history of political battles, the Times noted. President Reagan put her in charge of the Environmental Protection Agency, but environmentalists and Democrats attacked her claiming she was soft on polluters.
She was held in contempt of Congress in 1983 for refusing to turn over documents and was later forced to resign "because the White House saw her as a political distraction," according to the newspaper.
Meanwhile, the Times noted her son has degrees from Columbia University, Harvard Law School and Oxford University. He is best known for upholding religious liberty rights in legal battles over Obamacare.
CNN is reporting that Trump has narrowed his list of potential nominees and may be just days away from making an announcement.
"I think in my mind I know who it is," Trump said last week. "I think you're going to be very, very excited."
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