Anthony J. Brindisi, a former Democratic congressman and New York State Court of Claims judge, has been confirmed to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. The Senate voted 50-49 to approve President Biden's July nominee, who will replace 87-year-old Judge David Hurd, the nation's oldest active district court judge.

Brindisi's confirmation marks the first time in over two decades that a former member of Congress has ascended to the federal bench. His appointment faced Republican resistance due to his prior legislative stances on immigration and LGBTQ+ rights. During his confirmation hearing, he was questioned extensively about his ability to separate his political past from his judicial future.

The image above shows Anthony Brindisi at a town hall meeting at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, on April 8, 2018. (Reuters/Andrew Kelly)

Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, pointedly asked Brindisi during last month’s hearing, "On the bench, are you a politician or a judge?" Brindisi replied, "I'm a judge, senator."

The 46-year-old Brindisi served a single term in the U.S. House of Representatives after being elected in 2018. Following his 2020 election loss to Republican Claudia Tenney, he returned to his legal practice at Brindisi, Murad & Brindisi Pearlman in Utica before his 2022 appointment to the state court.

The U.S. Capitol building is pictured above on November 4, 2024. Anthony Brindisi served one term in the House of Representatives. (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Former President Trump criticized the Democrats for allegedly trying to fill the courts with what he called radical appointees, and he urged Republicans to oppose further confirmations before the inauguration. "No more Judges confirmed before Inauguration Day!" Trump declared on Truth Social.

Brindisi will be serving in the Utica, New York, federal building (pictured above), succeeding Judge David Hurd. (Google Maps)

The last former member of Congress to become a federal judge was Bill Martini, a Republican House member confirmed to a New Jersey district court judgeship in 2002. According to Reuters, Brindisi has emphasized the distinction between his legislative past and his current judicial role, stating his commitment to being perceived as a "fair and impartial judge."