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Sununu Declines To Sign Letter Supporting Supreme Court Nominee Amy Coney Barrett

Gov. Chris Sununu, R-N.H.
Josh Rogers / NHPR

Gov. Chris Sununu has declined to join most other Republican governors in signing a letter in support of confirming Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump’s U.S. Supreme Court nominee. As NHPR’s Josh Rogers reports, Sununu joined GOP governors on similar letters in support of Trump’s previous high court nominations.

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A Sununu campaign spokesman said Governor Sununu didn’t sign the Republican Governors Association letter supporting the nomination of Judge Barrett because, “As Governor, Chris Sununu, has no role in the confirmation process.”

But that lack of standing didn’t stop Sununu from signing past RGA letters backing the confirmation of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

In all, 24 of the 28 Republican governors joined the RGA letter praising Barrett.

Other than Sununu, the only GOP governors to not sign on are Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, Phil Scott of Vermont, and Larry Hogan of Maryland.

Those governors have said Trump should wait to pick someone to fill the vacancy left by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg until after the election.

Sununu hasn’t gone that far, but has said any confirmation process needs to be fair and done with civility.  

Josh has worked at NHPR since 2000.
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