#Two more GOP senators say they will vote to fill RBG’s seat before election

Two more Republican senators signaled their support Monday for holding a vote on President Trump’s eventual Supreme Court nominee before the November presidential election.

GOP Senators Chuck Grassley, of Iowa, and Cory Gardner, of Colorado, both said in statements they would back a Trump-picked nominee if they deem the potential judge qualified.

“I have and will continue to support judicial nominees who will protect our Constitution, not legislate from the bench, and uphold the law. Should a qualified nominee who meets this criteria be put forward, I will vote to confirm,” Gardner wrote in his statement.

Grassley added that he would vote based on “merits” of a nominee.

Senator Mitt Romney, who is potentially the last holdout in the GOP-controlled Senate, avoided questions about the Supreme Court seat on Monday.

The move by Grassley to back a pre-election SCOTUS vote comes as a surprise, as he previously indicated that he would support leaving a vacancy on the court if one opened up in an election year.

Gardner, meanwhile, faces a tough re-election race in Colorado against former Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper.

The Democrats had been hoping Gardner and Grassley would break ranks with their party like fellow Republicans Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, who said they would oppose the president’s effort to replace Ginsburg before the election.

Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate.

With a 53 seat majority, McConnell can afford to lose three votes before needing Vice President Mike Pence to come in and cast a tie-breaking vote.

With Post wires