Stephen Chad Meredith Confirmed as Federal Judge in Kentucky
Meredith becomes the fourth federal judge confirmed by the U.S. Senate this week.
The U.S. Senate today held a recorded vote to confirm one individual as an Article III federal judge. With this confirmation, 247 judges nominated by President Donald Trump have now been confirmed by the Senate across his two terms in office. With today’s action, 184 of Trump’s judicial nominees have been approved for service on federal district courts.
In a 48-45 vote, Stephen Chad Meredith was confirmed as a Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. He becomes Trump’s third confirmation to the six-person court, with no additional vacancies. Once commissioned, he will become the youngest judge serving on this court.
48 Republicans approved Meredith’s nomination. 43 Democrats and two Independents voted in opposition. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), and Mark Warner (D-VA) did not vote.
Meredith will assume the Lexington-based seat previously held by Danny C. Reeves, who took senior status in February 2025. A nominee of President George W. Bush, Reeves began serving on this court in December 2001, was Chief Judge from August 2019 to February 2025, and remains a senior judge. Meredith was nominated to this seat on the federal judiciary by Trump in June 2025.
A graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Law in 2007, Meredith was an associate at Frost Brown Todd from 2009 to 2011 and at Ransdell & Roach from 2011 to 2015. He then served as Chief Deputy General Counsel to Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin from 2015 to 2019 and as Kentucky Solicitor General from 2019 to 2021. Since 2021, he has worked at Squire Patton Boggs - becoming a partner earlier this year.