Ellington

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi's two Republican U.S. senators say they are working with President Donald Trump's administration to fill a seat on a federal appeals court with someone from the state.

Sens. Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker said in a joint statement Monday it's their priority to have "a well-qualified, constitutional conservative jurist" from Mississippi to succeed Judge Grady Jolly on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The New Orleans-based court handles cases from Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

Jolly, from Mississippi, has been on the appeals court since 1982. He is retiring Tuesday.

"The administration understands that it is a priority to us that a Mississippian be nominated to fill this seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit," the joint statement from Cochran and Wicker said. "We look forward to President Trump, with the advice and consent of the Senate, announcing such a nomination as soon as possible."

Trump last week nominated two people from Texas and two from Louisiana to the 17-member court.

Three seats already were vacant. A federal court website shows that Judge Edith Brown Clement, of Louisiana, plans to retire from active court service, though no date has been set.