Sonia Sotomayor Supreme Court nomination Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. The seat was filled by Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr. of the Third Circuit. Since Barack Obama's election, there had been speculation that Sotomayor could be a leading candidate for the Supreme Court seat of Justice David Souter, or for any opening on the Court during Obama's term. On April 9, 2009, Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand wrote a joint letter to President Obama urging him to appoint Sotomayor, or alternatively Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, to the Supreme Court if a vacancy should arise on the Court during his term.<ref name="Schumer/Gillibrand"></ref> On April 30,
National Institute for Latino Policy Latino National Political Survey, “ "PS: Political Science and Politics", Vol. 20, No. 4 (December 1989), pp. 848–852. _____________, “Puerto Ricans and the 1989 Mayoral Election in New York City,” "Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences", Vol. 11, No. 2 (August 1989), pp. 245–258. Angelo Falcón, "New York Latinos and the Mosque Controversy,” New America Media (September 22, 2010). __________, “Latinos, Health Reform and Dogs,” New America Media (December 25, 2009). __________, “Sotomayor is as American as Mango Pie,” CNN.com (July 20, 2009) __________, “A Closer Look at the White House ‘Takeover’ of the Census,” Hispanic Link News Service (February 2009)