Sixth Circuit / Appointed 2025 / Active
Whitney Downs Hermandorfer
Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Appointed by President Donald J. Trump in 2025 and confirmed by the Senate 46–42, Whitney Downs Hermandorfer is a Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She earned a law degree from George Washington University Law School in 2015. Sources ↓
- Born
- 1987 · age 39
- Appointed by
- Donald J. Trump, 2025
- Confirmed
- 46–42
- Education
- Princeton 2009 · George Washington Law School 2015
- Succeeded
- Jane Branstetter Stranch
Federal judicial service
| Year | Court | Appointed by | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Sixth Circuit succeeded Jane Branstetter Stranch | Trump (R) | 46–42 |
Party letters show the appointing president’s party, not the judge’s own.
Confirmation vote
Nomination Confirmed 46–42 on July 14, 2025 · 119th Congress, Roll Call 384. Each senator links to their judicial-voting record.
Voted to confirm · 46
46 R
- Jim Banks(R-IN)
- John Barrasso(R-WY)
- Marsha Blackburn(R-TN)
- John Boozman(R-AR)
- Katie Britt(R-AL)
- Ted Budd(R-NC)
- Shelley Capito(R-WV)
- Bill Cassidy(R-LA)
- Susan Collins(R-ME)
- John Cornyn(R-TX)
- Tom Cotton(R-AR)
- Kevin Cramer(R-ND)
- Mike Crapo(R-ID)
- Ted Cruz(R-TX)
- Steve Daines(R-MT)
- Joni Ernst(R-IA)
- Deb Fischer(R-NE)
- Lindsey Graham(R-SC)
- Chuck Grassley(R-IA)
- Bill Hagerty(R-TN)
- Josh Hawley(R-MO)
- John Hoeven(R-ND)
- Jon Husted(R-OH)
- Cindy Hyde-Smith(R-MS)
- Ron Johnson(R-WI)
- James Justice(R-WV)
- John Kennedy(R-LA)
- James Lankford(R-OK)
- Cynthia Lummis(R-WY)
- Roger Marshall(R-KS)
- Mitch McConnell(R-KY)
- Ashley Moody(R-FL)
- Jerry Moran(R-KS)
- Bernie Moreno(R-OH)
- Markwayne Mullin(R-OK)
- Pete Ricketts(R-NE)
- James Risch(R-ID)
- Eric Schmitt(R-MO)
- Rick Scott(R-FL)
- Tim Scott(R-SC)
- Tim Sheehy(R-MT)
- John Thune(R-SD)
- Thomas Tillis(R-NC)
- Tommy Tuberville(R-AL)
- Roger Wicker(R-MS)
- Todd Young(R-IN)
Voted against · 42
40 D, 2 I
- Angela Alsobrooks(D-MD)
- Tammy Baldwin(D-WI)
- Michael Bennet(D-CO)
- Richard Blumenthal(D-CT)
- Lisa Blunt Rochester(D-DE)
- Cory Booker(D-NJ)
- Maria Cantwell(D-WA)
- Christopher Coons(D-DE)
- Catherine Cortez Masto(D-NV)
- Tammy Duckworth(D-IL)
- Richard Durbin(D-IL)
- Ruben Gallego(D-AZ)
- Kirsten Gillibrand(D-NY)
- Maggie Hassan(D-NH)
- Martin Heinrich(D-NM)
- John Hickenlooper(D-CO)
- Mazie Hirono(D-HI)
- Timothy Kaine(D-VA)
- Mark Kelly(D-AZ)
- Andy Kim(D-NJ)
- Angus King(I-ME)
- Amy Klobuchar(D-MN)
- Ben Lujan(D-NM)
- Edward Markey(D-MA)
- Jeff Merkley(D-OR)
- Christopher Murphy(D-CT)
- Jon Ossoff(D-GA)
- Alex Padilla(D-CA)
- Gary Peters(D-MI)
- Jack Reed(D-RI)
- Bernie Sanders(I-VT)
- Brian Schatz(D-HI)
- Adam Schiff(D-CA)
- Charles Schumer(D-NY)
- Jeanne Shaheen(D-NH)
- Tina Smith(D-MN)
- Chris Van Hollen(D-MD)
- Mark Warner(D-VA)
- Raphael Warnock(D-GA)
- Elizabeth Warren(D-MA)
- Sheldon Whitehouse(D-RI)
- Ron Wyden(D-OR)
Did not vote · 12
5 D, 7 R
- John Curtis(R-UT)
- John Fetterman(D-PA)
- Mike Lee(R-UT)
- David McCormick(R-PA)
- Lisa Murkowski(R-AK)
- Patty Murray(D-WA)
- Rand Paul(R-KY)
- Jacky Rosen(D-NV)
- Mike Rounds(R-SD)
- Elissa Slotkin(D-MI)
- Dan Sullivan(R-AK)
- Peter Welch(D-VT)
Education
| Princeton University | B.A. | 2009 |
| George Washington University Law School | J.D. | 2015 |
Before the bench
Professional career before and outside the federal bench, as recorded by the Federal Judicial Center.
| Private practice, Washington, D.C. | 2015-2016, 2019-2020, 2021-2023 |
| Law clerk, Hon. Brett M. Kavanaugh, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit | 2016-2017 |
| Law clerk, Hon. Richard J. Leon, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | 2017-2018 |
| Law clerk, Hon. Samuel A. Alito, Jr., Supreme Court of the United States | 2018-2019 |
| Law clerk, Hon. Amy Coney Barrett, Supreme Court of the United States | 2020-2021 |
| Adjunct professor, George Washington University Law School | 2023 |
| Office of the Attorney General and Reporter, State of Tennessee, 2023-2025; assistant solicitor general, 2023-2024; director, Strategic Litigation Unit | 2023-2025 |
Questions & answers
- Who appointed Whitney Downs Hermandorfer?
- President Donald J. Trump appointed Whitney Downs Hermandorfer to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in 2025.
- Was Whitney Downs Hermandorfer appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?
- Whitney Downs Hermandorfer was appointed by President Donald J. Trump, a Republican. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.
- What was Whitney Downs Hermandorfer's confirmation vote?
- The Senate confirmed Whitney Downs Hermandorfer 46–42 on July 14, 2025.
- Which court is Whitney Downs Hermandorfer on?
- Whitney Downs Hermandorfer is a Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Sources
Each fact on this page traces to a primary public record.
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1 year on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Data as of 2026-09-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).