Jason Kander, the former Missouri Senate candidate, wants his would-have-been colleagues in Washington, D.C. to stop any Supreme Court nominee put forth by President Donald Trump.

His message could be read as a tongue-in-cheek response to Republicans, who refused to consider former President Barack Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to fill the open seat on the Supreme Court, citing the fact that Obama was in the last year of his tenure. That vacancy has now fallen to Trump, who plans to announce a pick on Tuesday night.

Kander is a rising star within the Democratic Party. He previously was Missouri’s secretary of state and a state representative. Before that, he served a tour in Afghanistan with the Army, in which he enlisted after the World Trade Center attacks. While Hillary Clinton lost Missouri by double-digits, Kander held Republican incumbent Roy Blunt’s victory margin to within three points.

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at solomon@forward.com or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon

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