Biden has picked a Supreme Court nominee: US media

US President Joe Biden has decided on his choice for the US Supreme Court, a person familiar with the process said on Thursday.

The person did not name the nominee and would not comment on when the announcement would be made.

White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said on Thursday Biden has not made an offer to a Supreme Court nominee, but he remains “on track” to announce his pick to replace Justice Stephen Breyer by the end of the month.

Biden has promised to name the first Black woman to the high court. The nomination must be confirmed by the Senate.

Potential nominees include Ketanji Brown Jackson, a former Breyer law clerk confirmed by the Senate last June to serve on an influential US appellate court, and Leondra Kruger, who serves on the California Supreme Court. Another potential contender is Michelle Childs, a federal district court judge in South Carolina who Biden already has nominated to the US appeals court in Washington.US President Joe Biden has made a final decision on who he will pick to be his first Supreme Court nominee, US media reported Thursday night.

The president promised during his 2020 campaign to elevate the first Black woman to America’s highest bench, which he reiterated after Justice Stephen Breyer, 83, announced his retirement in late January.

CNN first reported that Biden had made his decision, which was later confirmed by CBS News, both citing sources familiar with the process.

The cable network added that the decision could come as soon as Friday but no later than Monday, the day before Biden’s State of the Union address.

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The White House has been tight-lipped about who it will choose to replace Breyer, a liberal stalwart who plans to retire in June at the end of the court’s current term.

Among the favorites are US Circuit Court judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, South Carolina judge Michelle Childs and California Supreme Court judge Leondra Kruger.

Biden has previously said he planned on making a decision by the end of February.

Asked whether the Russian invasion of Ukraine had altered that timelines, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday Biden was “still on track to make an announcement before the end of the month.”

The selection of a Supreme Court justice involves extensive background checks to prevent unwelcome surprises during televised Senate nomination hearings.

If Biden’s pick can successfully pass the evenly divided Senate, she will become the third African American on the Supreme Court — after Justices Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas (who is still on the court). She would be the first Black woman.

• Americas