Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Indiana, announced Friday morning he would oppose the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
Donnelly's announcement came on the heels of speculation surrounding how the moderate Democrat would vote. He voted to confirm President Trump's other Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, last year.
"While I would gladly welcome the opportunity to work with President Trump on a new nominee for this critically important position, if Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination comes before the full Senate for a vote under these circumstances, I will oppose it," Donnelly said in a statement.
Donnelly is up for reelection this November and has faced pressure from both his Republican challenger, Mike Braun, and his Democratic constituents, to vote either way.
Braun's campaign immediately seized on the senator's announcement to fundraise for the Republican's campaign.
"This entire process has been an embarrassment to our democracy as Hoosiers watched firsthand how Senator Donnelly's liberal colleagues used uncorroborated allegations to create a media circus designed to smear & destroy Judge Kavanaugh’s reputation," Braun wrote in a statement posted to Twitter alongside a link to donate to his campaign.
Indiana's Republican U.S. Senator, Todd Young, indicated after Thursday's hearings he still planned on voting to confirm Kavanaugh, who has been accused of multiple acts of sexual misconduct.
“After watching today’s hearing, and conducting a thorough and objective review of his nomination, I remain convinced that Judge Kavanaugh is a man of integrity who will be an excellent addition to the Supreme Court," Young said in a statement. "I will be voting to confirm him."
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 11–10 Friday afternoon to send Kavanaugh's nomination to the full Senate for a vote.
