Aaron Peterson (Alaska): Difference between revisions

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'''Aaron Peterson''' is a senior assistant attorney general in the Alaska Department of Law for Natural Resources.<ref name=NOM>[https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/11/nominations-sent-to-the-senate-d2ae/ ''The White House'', "Nominations Sent to the Senate," accessed November 18, 2025]</ref><ref name=intent>[https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115538002658085818 ''Truth Social,'' "Donald J. Trump," November 12, 2025]</ref>
'''Aaron Peterson''' is a judge on the [[United States District Court for the District of Alaska]]. He  was nominated to the court by President [[Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump]] (R) on January 5, 2026, and confirmed by the [[United States Senate]] on February 10, 2026, by a vote of 58-39.<ref name=NOM/><ref name=CONG>[https://www.congress.gov/nomination/119th-congress/655/3?s=1&r=1 ''Congress.Gov'', "PN655-3 — 119th Congress (2025-2026) — Aaron Christian Peterson — The Judiciary," accessed November 18, 2025]</ref><ref name=CONG2>[https://www.congress.gov/nomination/119th-congress/726/12?s=4&r=4 ''Congress.Gov'', "PN726-12 — 119th Congress (2025-2026) — Aaron Christian Peterson — The Judiciary," accessed January 5, 2026]</ref><ref name=FJC>[https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/peterson-aaron-christian ''The Federal Judicial Center'', "Peterson, Aaron Christian," accessed February 10, 2026]</ref> To see a full list of judges appointed by [[Donald Trump]], [[Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump|click here]].


On November 18, 2025, President [[Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump|Donald Trump]] (R) nominated Aaron Peterson to the [[United States District Court for the District of Alaska]].<ref name=NOM/><ref name=CONG>[https://www.congress.gov/nomination/119th-congress/655/3?s=1&r=1 ''Congress.Gov'', "PN655-3 — 119th Congress (2025-2026) — Aaron Christian Peterson — The Judiciary," accessed November 18, 2025]</ref> Peterson's nomination was returned to the president at the ''sine die'' adjournment of the [[U.S. Senate]] on January 3, 2026.<ref>''Under Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, pending nominations are returned to the president if the Senate adjourns ''sine die'' or recesses for more than 30 days.''</ref> The president renominated Peterson on January 5, 2026.<ref name=CONG2>[https://www.congress.gov/nomination/119th-congress/726/12?s=4&r=4 ''Congress.Gov'', "PN726-12 — 119th Congress (2025-2026) — Aaron Christian Peterson — The Judiciary," accessed January 5, 2026]</ref> As of January 15, 2026, Peterson was awaiting a confirmation vote from the full [[U.S. Senate]]. [[#Judicial nominations and appointments|Click here]] for more information on Peterson's federal judicial nomination.
The [[United States District Court for the District of Alaska]] is one of 94 [[United States District Court|U.S. District Courts]]. They are the general [[trial court|trial courts]] of the [[United States federal courts]]. To learn more about the court, [[#About the court|click here]].


The [[United States District Court for the District of Alaska]] is one of 94 [[United States District Court|U.S. District Courts]]. They are the general [[trial court|trial courts]] of the [[United States federal courts]]. To learn more about the court, [[#About the court|click here]].
Prior to joining the court, Peterson was a senior assistant attorney general in the Alaska Department of Law for Natural Resources.<ref name=NOM>[https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/11/nominations-sent-to-the-senate-d2ae/ ''The White House'', "Nominations Sent to the Senate," accessed November 18, 2025]</ref><ref name=intent>[https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115538002658085818 ''Truth Social,'' "Donald J. Trump," November 12, 2025]</ref>


==Judicial nominations and appointments==
==Judicial nominations and appointments==
===United States District Court for the District of Alaska===
===United States District Court for the District of Alaska (2026-present)===
::''See also: [[Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump]]''
::''See also: [[Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump]]''


On November 18, 2025, President [[Donald Trump]] (R) nominated Peterson to the [[United States District Court for the District of Alaska]].<ref name=NOM/> To read more about the federal nominations process, [[#The federal nomination process|click here]].
On November 18, 2025, President [[Donald Trump]] (R) nominated Peterson to the [[United States District Court for the District of Alaska]].<ref name=NOM/> He was confirmed by a 58-39 vote of the U.S. Senate on February 4, 2026. Peterson received commission on February 10, 2026.<ref name=FJC/> To read more about the federal nominations process, [[#The federal nomination process|click here]].


{{Federal Nomination Tracker
{{Federal Nomination Tracker
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|ReportDate =January 15, 2026
|ReportDate =January 15, 2026
|PastReport =
|PastReport =
|ConfirmDate =
|ConfirmDate =February 4, 2026
|Vote =
|Vote =58-39
|Returndate =
|Returndate =
|Withdraw =
|Withdraw =
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====Confirmation vote====
====Confirmation vote====
As of January 15, 2026, Peterson was awaiting a confirmation vote from the full [[U.S. Senate]]. [[Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump#Waiting for vote in Senate|Click here]] for a list of other nominees awaiting a full Senate vote.
The U.S. Senate confirmed Peterson by a vote of 58-39 on February 4, 2026.<ref name=CONG2/> To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, [https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1192/vote_119_2_00026.htm click here].
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="background:none; text-align: center;"
|-
! colspan="10" style="background-color:#334aab; color:#f0a236;" |''Peterson confirmation vote (February 4, 2026)''
|-
!style="background-color:#00AF8C; color: white;" |'''Party'''
!style="background-color:#00AF8C; color: white;" |'''Yea'''
!style="background-color:#00AF8C; color: white;" |'''Nay'''
!style="background-color:#00AF8C; color: white;" |'''No vote'''
|-
| {{blue dot}}||7||37||1
|-
| {{red dot}}||51||0||2
|-
| {{greydot}} Independent ||0||2||0
|-
|style="background: #00AF8C; color: white" |Total
|style="background: #00AF8C; color: white" |'''58'''<ref>''Note: The bolded number reflects the largest number.''</ref>
|style="background: #00AF8C; color: white" |39
|style="background: #00AF8C; color: white" |3
|}


====Senate Judiciary Committee hearing====
====Senate Judiciary Committee hearing====
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====Nomination====
====Nomination====
On November 18, 2025, President [[Donald Trump]] (R) nominated Aaron Peterson to the [[United States District Court for the District of Alaska]].<ref name=NOM/>
On November 18, 2025, President [[Donald Trump]] (R) nominated Aaron Peterson to the [[United States District Court for the District of Alaska]].<ref name=NOM/> Peterson's nomination was returned to the president at the ''sine die'' adjournment of the [[U.S. Senate]] on January 3, 2026.<ref>''Under Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, pending nominations are returned to the president if the Senate adjourns ''sine die'' or recesses for more than 30 days.''</ref> The president renominated Peterson on January 5, 2026.<ref name=CONG2/>


The [[American Bar Association]] (ABA) rated Peterson ''no rating''.<ref name=aba>[https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/federal_judicary/119th-web-ratings-chart.pdf ''American Bar Association'', "STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE FEDERAL JUDICIARY," accessed December 15, 2025]</ref> To read more about ABA ratings, [[ABA ratings during the Trump administration|click here]].
The [[American Bar Association]] (ABA) rated Peterson ''no rating''.<ref name=aba>[https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/federal_judicary/119th-web-ratings-chart.pdf ''American Bar Association'', "STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE FEDERAL JUDICIARY," accessed December 15, 2025]</ref> To read more about ABA ratings, [[ABA ratings during the Trump administration|click here]].


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Peterson was nominated to replace Judge [[Timothy Burgess]], who assumed [[senior status]] on December 31, 2021.<ref name="Burgess">[https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/burgess-timothy-mark Judge Burgess' biography] at the [[Federal Judicial Center]]</ref>
Peterson was nominated to replace Judge [[NAME]], who retired/assumed [[senior status]] on DATE.<REF>
 
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==Biography==
==Biography==
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===Professional career===
===Professional career===
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*'''DATE-present:''' Judge, [[COURT]]
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*[https://www.akd.uscourts.gov/ United States District Court for the District of Alaska]
*[https://www.akd.uscourts.gov/ United States District Court for the District of Alaska]
 
*[https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/peterson-aaron-christian Biography] from the [[Federal Judicial Center]]
==Footnotes==
==Footnotes==
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{{Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Alaska}}
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[[Category: Federal judiciary nominee, November 2025]]
[[Category: Federal judiciary nominee, November 2025]]
[[Category: Current federal court nominees]]
[[Category: Appointed by Donald Trump]]
[[Category: Appointed by Donald Trump]]
[[Category: Appointee, District of Alaska]]
[[Category: Federal judge, District of Alaska]]
[[Category:Article III judiciary nominee]]
[[Category:Returned nominee 2026]]
[[Category:Returned nominee 2026]]
[[Category: Confirmed 2026]]
[[Category:Federal Article III judges]]

Latest revision as of 12:06, 12 February 2026


Aaron Peterson
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Nonpartisan
United States District Court for the District of Alaska
Tenure
2026 - Present
Years in position
0
Predecessor: Timothy Burgess (Nonpartisan)

Aaron Peterson is a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Alaska. He was nominated to the court by President Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump (R) on January 5, 2026, and confirmed by the United States Senate on February 10, 2026, by a vote of 58-39.[1][2][3][4] To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here.

The United States District Court for the District of Alaska is one of 94 U.S. District Courts. They are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. To learn more about the court, click here.

Prior to joining the court, Peterson was a senior assistant attorney general in the Alaska Department of Law for Natural Resources.[1][5]

Judicial nominations and appointments

United States District Court for the District of Alaska (2026-present)

See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump

On November 18, 2025, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Peterson to the United States District Court for the District of Alaska.[1] He was confirmed by a 58-39 vote of the U.S. Senate on February 4, 2026. Peterson received commission on February 10, 2026.[4] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.

Nomination Tracker
Fedbadgesmall.png
Nominee Information
Name: Aaron Peterson
Court: United States District Court for the District of Alaska
Progress
Confirmed 78 days after nomination.
ApprovedANominated: November 18, 2025
ApprovedAABA Rating: No Rating
Questionnaire: [N/A Questionnaire]
ApprovedAHearing: November 19, 2025
Hearing Transcript: Hearing Transcript
QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more)
ApprovedAReported: January 15, 2026 
ApprovedAConfirmed: February 4, 2026
ApprovedAVote: 58-39


Confirmation vote

The U.S. Senate confirmed Peterson by a vote of 58-39 on February 4, 2026.[3] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.

Peterson confirmation vote (February 4, 2026)
Party Yea Nay No vote
Electiondot.png Democratic 7 37 1
Ends.png Republican 51 0 2
Grey.png Independent 0 2 0
Total 58[6] 39 3

Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Peterson's nomination on November 19, 2025. He was reported to the full Senate on December 11, 2025, after a 14-8 committee vote.[7] Peterson was reported to the full Senate again on January 15, 2026, after a 14-8 committee vote.[8]

Nomination

On November 18, 2025, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Aaron Peterson to the United States District Court for the District of Alaska.[1] Peterson's nomination was returned to the president at the sine die adjournment of the U.S. Senate on January 3, 2026.[9] The president renominated Peterson on January 5, 2026.[3]

The American Bar Association (ABA) rated Peterson no rating.[10] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.

Peterson was nominated to replace Judge Timothy Burgess, who assumed senior status on December 31, 2021.[11]


About the court

The Western District of Arkansas has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.

There are six court divisions, each covering the following counties:

The El Dorado Division, covering Ashley, Bradley, Calhoun, Columbia, Ouachita and Union counties.

The Fayetteville Division, covering Benton, Madison and Washington counties.

The Fort Smith Division, covering Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Polk, Scott and Sebastian counties.

The Harrison Division, covering Baxter, Boone, Carroll, Marion, Newton and Searcy counties.

The Hot Springs Division, covering Clark, Garland, Hot Spring, Montgomery and Pike counties.

The Texarkana Division, covering Hempstead, Howard, Lafayette, Little River, Miller, Nevada and Sevier counties.

To read opinions published by this court, click here.

The federal nomination process

Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:

  • The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
  • The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
  • The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
  • As part of this process, the committee sends a blue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
  • After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
  • If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
  • If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
  • The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
  • If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
  • If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The White House, "Nominations Sent to the Senate," accessed November 18, 2025
  2. ↑ Congress.Gov, "PN655-3 — 119th Congress (2025-2026) — Aaron Christian Peterson — The Judiciary," accessed November 18, 2025
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Congress.Gov, "PN726-12 — 119th Congress (2025-2026) — Aaron Christian Peterson — The Judiciary," accessed January 5, 2026
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Federal Judicial Center, "Peterson, Aaron Christian," accessed February 10, 2026
  5. ↑ Truth Social, "Donald J. Trump," November 12, 2025
  6. ↑ Note: The bolded number reflects the largest number.
  7. ↑ U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "RESULTS OF COMMITTEE EXECUTIVE BUSINESS MEETING," accessed December 11, 2025
  8. ↑ U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "RESULTS OF COMMITTEE EXECUTIVE BUSINESS MEETING," accessed January 15, 2026
  9. ↑ Under Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, pending nominations are returned to the president if the Senate adjourns sine die or recesses for more than 30 days.
  10. ↑ American Bar Association, "STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE FEDERAL JUDICIARY," accessed December 15, 2025
  11. ↑ Judge Burgess' biography at the Federal Judicial Center

Political offices
Preceded by
Timothy Burgess 		United States District Court for the District of Alaska
2026-Present		 Succeeded by
-


Alaska courts

Federal courts:

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Alaska • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Alaska

State courts:

Alaska Supreme Court • Alaska Court of Appeals • Alaska Superior Court • Alaska District Court

State resources:

Courts in Alaska • Alaska judicial elections • Judicial selection in Alaska

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