Following the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, there has been widespread speculation over the next steps to fill the vacant seat. William Blake, an assistant professor of political science, argues in a new Baltimore Sun op-ed that President Obama should nominate former Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

“Reappointing Justice O’Connor would benefit President Obama, the court, and, most importantly, the American people,” Blake states in the column that he co-wrote with Hans Hackler, an associate professor of political science at Arkansas State University.

Blake contends that appointing O’Connor will provide the best chance for confirmation in a divided political landscape and will allow the Supreme Court to continue its business by avoiding ties, when the ruling of the lower court stands and no precedent is set.

“One way or the other, the presidential election will decide the long-term future of the court. The only question is whether President Obama and Senate Republicans are more interested in scoring political points or keeping the court functioning this year. Reappointing Justice O’Connor is the best way to achieve the latter,” Blake writes.

Professor Blake was a guest on WBAL Radio’s Maryland News Now program and appeared on CNN to discuss his column. Read the complete op-ed “Bring back Justice O’Connor” in the Baltimore Sun. The article was picked up and mentioned by several news outlets across the country. The complete list is below:

The Hill
Fox 10 Phoenix (KSAZ) (Justice O’Connor refusing comment on the possibility of being reappointed)
Huffington Post
ABA Journal
Arizona Daily Sun
Corvallis Gazette Times
Provo Herald
Mediaite
LifeNews.com
Newsy

Image: U.S. Supreme Court. Photo by Chris Phan, CC by 2.0.