North Dakota U.S. District Court Judge Dan Traynor is one step closer to a federal appeals court seat.
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Traynor’s nomination Thursday on an 11-to-10 vote. His nomination now moves to the full Senate.
President Donald Trump nominated Traynor in May to serve on the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals. If confirmed, he would replace Judge Ralph Erickson, who is chambered in Fargo and plans to take senior status.
Traynor has served as a federal district judge in North Dakota since 2020. Before that, he worked as a private attorney in Devils Lake.
Senators questioned Traynor during a June hearing about political views, judicial conduct, and a letter he signed criticizing Columbia University’s response to campus protests.
The 8th Circuit hears federal appeals from North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, and Arkansas.
Mary Steurer reported on Traynor’s advancement for the North Dakota Monitor. Read the full reporting online at NorthDakotaMonitor.com.
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