Latino Caucus sends letter to Obama urging President to consider Tino Cuéllar as nominee to fill U.S. Supreme Court vacancy

SACRAMENTO – The California Latino Legislative Caucus today sent a letter to President Obama urging him to consider California Supreme Court Justice Mariano-Florentino “Tino” Cuéllar as a candidate to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Mexican-Americans are the fastest-growing ethnic group in the nation,” said Luis A. Alejo, Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus. “Tino Cuéllar grew up in Mexico and crossed the border every day as a boy to attend school in Texas. He received the ‘Exceptionally Well Qualified’ ranking from California Bar Association, the highest ranking possible. His qualifications and accomplishments are unequaled for a jurist of his young age. Appointing him to fill the vacancy created by the unfortunate death of Justice Scalia would make the nation’s highest court more representative of the American people.”

“He is a graduate of Harvard University, Yale Law School, and received a Ph.D. in Political Science from Stanford University,” the Latino Caucus letter to President Obama says. “Cuéllar served as Special Assistant to the President for Justice and Regulatory Policy on the White House Domestic Policy Council during your first term as president. He also served on the Administrative Conference of the United States and as a professor at Stanford Law School before Governor Jerry Brown appointed him to the Supreme Court of California.”

If appointed and confirmed, Cuéllar would become the first Mexican-American justice to ever serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. He would become the second Latino justice on the Court, joining Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who is of Puerto Rican descent.

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Contact: Andrew Bird / Andrew.Bird@asm.ca.gov / (916) 319-2030