Confirmed!

Judge Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed by a Senate vote of 68-31 this afternoon.

She will be the 111th person to sit on the Supreme Court.

The third woman justice.

The first Hispanic justice.

She is expected to be officially sworn in within the coming days and a formal ceremony is expected to take place in September.

In a press release from his office, Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said:

"Years from now, we will remember this time, when we crossed paths with the quintessentially American journey of Sonia Sotomayor and when our Nation took another step forward through this historic confirmation process."

"Judge Sotomayor’s career and judicial record demonstrates that she has always followed the rule of law. Attempts at distorting that record by suggesting that her ethnicity or heritage will be the driving force in her decisions as a Justice of the Supreme Court are demeaning to women and all communities of color."

After a grueling Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that focused largely on her ethnicity and gender instead of her immense qualifications, and a string of inappropriate attacks from media pundits, it’s nice to hear a voice of reason.

Congratulations, Judge Sonia Sotomayor!