U.S. Senate confirms Alabama Supreme Court Justice to federal bench

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – The U.S. Senate approved Associate Justice Greg Cook to be a district judge for the Northern District of Alabama in a party-line split Thursday.

Cook was elected to the Alabama Supreme Court in 2022.

He previously served as General Counsel to the Alabama Republican Party and spent more than 31 years in private practice.

“He truly embodies the best of the great state of Alabama,” said Sen. Katie Britt, R-Alabama, on the Senate floor before Cook’s confirmation vote. “In everything that Greg has done in life, he’s done it to the best of his ability. He’s given it his whole heart, and he’s made sure to put the needs to the state [and] the country first.”

In September, Cook’s nomination was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee along party lines.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illi., criticized Cook’s partisan ties and answers to questions regarding the winner of the 2020 presidential election and the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

“Like other Trump nominees who have been asked to account for their hyper-partisan language, Justice Cook deflected and claimed his statements were taken out of context,” said Sen. Durbin. “That is cold comfort to litigants with different political views than the justice.”

The Senate chamber approved his nomination Thursday. The final vote was 49 republicans voting ‘yes’ and 27 democrats voting ‘no.’ Twenty-seven lawmakers, including both republicans and democrats, did not vote on Cook’s confirmation.

All current members of Alabama’s Supreme Court are republicans. The governor fills vacancies between election cycles.

In a statement, the Office of Gov. Kay Ivey, R-Alabama, said:

The Northern District of Alabama’s jurisdiction covers Birmingham, Huntsville and Tuscaloosa.

Not reading this story on the WSFA News App? Get news alerts FASTER and FREE in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store!