Brailsford confirmed in rare voice vote

The U.S. Senate on Thursday unanimously confirmed the nomination of Judge Amanda Brailsford as the new federal District judge for Idaho, making her the first woman to become a U.S. district judge in the state.

She will replace Judge Lynn Winmill, who took senior status in August.

On April 27, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously supported her nomination in a voice vote, which is rare for judicial nominations, according to University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias, who tracks federal judge appointments. During a voice vote, senators all say either aye or nay at the same time, and it’s most often used for votes that are expected to have broad consensus.

“This is a tribute to the nominee, who possesses much relevant experience as a judge and practitioner and was a consensus nominee,” Tobias said in an email. “Both Idaho senators cooperated with the White House to find someone whom the GOP and Democrats could support.”

The Senate also confirmed her in a voice vote in another rare move. Tobias said none of Biden’s 32 appellate appointees received a voice vote and just three out of 93 district nominees had voice votes.

Brailsford, an Idaho native, has served on the state Court of Appeals since 2019. President Joe Biden nominated her and Idaho’s senators supported her approval.

“Judge Brailsford is an excellent choice to serve on the U.S. District Court in Idaho. Her credentials, and sound principles and judgment, make her a great fit for the Gem State,” Sen. Jim Risch said in a statement. “I appreciate the Senate’s expeditious approval of her nomination and look forward to seeing her serve on the bench soon.”

With strong bipartisan support, Brailsford leapfrogged about 15 nominees who had been tapped before her, some over a year ago, Tobias said.

Sen. Mike Crapo called the confirmation “historic.”

“She will serve our state well, and Idahoans everywhere should be proud,” Crapo wrote in a statement.

Idaho was one of two states that had never had a woman serve as a federal district court judge; North Dakota is the other.

Brailsford received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho in 1989 and her law degree from the UI College of Law in 1993, according to her biography. She served as a law clerk for Judge Thomas G. Nelson on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1993 to 1995.

She worked at the law firm Holland & Hart LLP as an associate until 2002 and as a partner from 2003 to 2013. Brailsford was a founding partner at Andersen Banducci PLLC in Boise from 2013 to 2017.

Guido covers Idaho politics for the Lewiston Tribune, Moscow-Pullman Daily News and Idaho Press of Nampa. She may be contacted at lguido@idahopress.com and can be found on Twitter @EyeOnBoiseGuido.