On September 19, 2022, President Biden nominated Judge Charnelle Bjelkengren to the United States Court District Court for the Eastern District of Washington to the seat vacated by Judge Salvador Mendoza, who was confirmed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in April of 2022. Judge Bjelkengren is a lifetime public servant with extensive experience on the bench – both as an administrative law judge and as a superior court judge. If confirmed, she would be the first woman of color to serve on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington as well as the first Black woman to serve on a federal District Court in the state of Washington.
Nominee