Betting odds favor Amy Coney Barrett as next Supreme Court justice
Republican judge Amy Coney Barrett is the heavy betting favorite to fill the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy created by the recent death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Barrett is the -303 favorite at Betfair Exchange after opening as a +163 co-favorite Tuesday with fellow Republican judge Barbara Lagoa to be named the next U.S. Supreme Court justice. Lagoa quickly has been bumped to the 4-1 second choice.
The London-based book also expects the Senate to confirm the next Supreme Court justice before Nov. 3. The odds of the confirmation taking place before the Nov. 3 presidential election are even, followed by +175 from Nov. 3 to Jan. 19 and +275 for Jan. 20 or later.
The death of Ginsburg, who was chosen by former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, gives President Donald Trump a chance to turn the Supreme Court’s right-leaning 5-4 tilt to one comprising six Republican-appointed justices and three Democratic picks.
“If either Barrett or Lagoa are chosen, Trump will have a huge advantage in passing the laws he wants if he wins re-election in November,” Betfair spokesperson Sam Rosbottom said in an email.
Barrett, 48, is a judge on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals and former clerk to late Justice Antonin Scalia.
Lagoa, 52, is a Miami native and Cuban American judge on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.
The next two betting favorites are Ketanji Brown Jackson (12-1) and Leondra Kruger (16-1), who have been speculated to be Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s top picks.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.
