--- description: Texas Sen. Ted Cruz predicted that the Supreme Court will have another open seat by this summer. title: Ted Cruz Says Supreme Court Will Have Another Open Seat This Summer image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6ef6cce40233360f/6988bb9b0b72e353d66ecbc2/gettyimages-633593560.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Supreme Court](/tag/supreme-court/) ## Supreme Court Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Ted Cruz Predicts Supreme Court Will Have Another Open Seat This Summer by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 23, 2017 5:09 PM CUT  US Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, speaks with Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch during a meeting at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, February 2, 2017. US Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, speaks with Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch during a meeting at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, February 2, 2017.SAUL LOEB—AFP/Getty Images by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 23, 2017 5:09 PM CUT Texas Sen. Ted Cruz predicted that the Supreme Court will have another open seat by this summer. In an on-stage interview at the [annual Conservative Political Action Conference](http://time.com/4679396/cpac-donald-trump-conservatives/ "undefined"), the Republican Senator predicted that there might be another opening on the nation’s high court soon. “This summer, I think we’ll have another Supreme Court vacancy,” he said. Cruz did not explain the remark and conservative commentator Mark Levin, who was conducting the interview, did not ask a follow-up question. The U.S. Senate is currently considering President Trump’s [nomination of federal Judge Neil Gorsuch](http://time.com/4678691/republicans-neil-gorsuch-congress-nuclear-option/ "undefined") to replace the [late Justice Antonin Scalia](http://time.com/4384855/antonin-scalia-supreme-court/ "undefined"). If confirmed, Gorsuch would keep the court’s conservative balance in place. If a liberal justice or swing Justice Anthony Kennedy were to leave the court, however, Cruz predicted there would be a tough fight with Democrats over a replacement. Cruz said that Senate Democrats are scared of angry voters on the left, calling their base “bat crap crazy.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4680572/ted-cruz-supreme-court-vacancy/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4680572/ted-cruz-supreme-court-vacancy/"},"headline":"Ted Cruz Predicts Supreme Court Will Have Another Open Seat This Summer","datePublished":"2017-02-23T17:09:08.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T03:29:23.058Z","description":"Texas Sen. 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