Trump nominates four federal judges to fill longstanding vacancies in NC courts
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- Trump nominated four federal judges to fill long-vacant NC district seats.
- Tillis and Budd supported nominees after blocking prior Biden-era selections.
- Senate confirmation could resolve vacancies previously stalled by partisan conflict.
President Donald Trump appointed four new federal judges to North Carolina’s district courts on Friday, initiating action on judicial vacancies that Republicans had refused to fill during President Joe Biden’s administration.
The new judges, two of which were nominated to the state’s Western District and two to the Middle District, quickly gained the support of North Carolina’s Republican senators, Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, both of whom had blocked action on the vacancies prior to Trump’s presidency.
“Ensuring principled constitutionalist judges are confirmed to the federal courts is a privilege and responsibility I take very seriously,” Budd said in a statement. “... I am grateful to President Trump for his inspired choices, and to Sen. Tillis for his partnership as we work to confirm these nominees in the Senate.”
Trump’s nominees are:
- Susan Rodriguez, for the Western District. Rodriguez currently serves as a U.S. magistrate judge in Charlotte.
- Matthew Orso, for the Western District. Orso is a partner at a Charlotte law firm and specializes in white collar litigation.
- David Bragdon, for the Middle District. Bragdon is the appellate chief for a U.S. attorney’s office and previously clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas.
- Lindsey Freeman, for the Middle District. Freeman is an assistant U.S. attorney and previously clerked for the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.
While federal judges are technically nonpartisan, all four of Trump’s nominees are registered Republicans.
The nominees will now go to the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which Tillis is a member.
If confirmed by the Senate, the nominees will fill longstanding vacancies that sparked conflict between North Carolina’s senators and the former administration.
Tillis and Budd refused to act on the positions amid a standoff with Biden over his nominee to the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
Biden had nominated North Carolina Solicitor General Ryan Park to the bench, a pick that drew swift opposition from Tillis, who accused Park of being too partisan.
Park, who continued to serve as solicitor general until May of this year, eventually withdrew his name from consideration after Democrats and Republicans struck a deal to not move forward with his nomination.
However, shortly after the deal was made, Judge James Wynn, whom Park was nominated to replace on the 4th Circuit court, announced he was revoking his retirement and would stay on the bench.
Wynn, an appointee of President Barack Obama, made his decision following Trump’s 2024 election win.
Tillis railed against the decision, calling it a “slap in the face to the U.S. Senate” motivated by partisan politics.
Washington Correspondent Danielle Battaglia contributed to this story.
This story was originally published August 26, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated with Ryan Park’s current job status. His tenure as solicitor general ended in May of 2025.
