SCOTUS Expert Says Greensboro Native Lynch Could Be Nominee

Several names are being tossed around as possible replacements for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. One Supreme Court expert thinks U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch is a leading contender for the nomination.

Her nomination would not only face Republican scrutiny, but also a quirk of state history: There hasn't been a Supreme Court Justice from North Carolina in more than 200 years.

In making the case for Lynch as the nominee, Tom Goldstein, the publisher of SCOTUSblog, sees advantages both political and practical. He says she's well-liked by the administration, would have the political advantage of being a minority woman, and has already been through a recent vetting process to become the attorney general.

But he notes that there are a handful of others who would bring many of the same advantages.

Lynch graduated from Harvard law School and spent most of her legal career in New York. But she is a native of Greensboro and spent her chldhood here. If she is nominated and approved, she'd be the first North Carolininan on the country's highest court since Alfred Moore.

Moore was appointed by President John Adams in 1800 to take the place on the bench of another North Carolina appointee, James Iredell. Moore was from the eastern part of the state but was no stranger to the Piedmont, having fought in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse.

Moore served four relatively undistinguished years on the court before retiring for health reasons. Moore County is named for him.

Lynch's Tar Heel connections may not help her when it comes time for Senate confirmation. Both North Carolina U.S. Senators – Republicans Thom Tillis and Richard Burr – voted against her for her confirmation to be attorney general.