Loretta Lynch Makes History as the First Black Female Attorney General in U.S. History

Her confirmation comes after nearly six months of delay

Photo: Alex Wong/Getty

After nearly six months of drama and debate, the U.S. Senate confirmed Loretta Lynch as the attorney general on Thursday, making her the first black woman to hold the title.

Lynch, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, won confirmation with a 56-43 vote, with 10 Republicans voting for her, according to the Associated Press. She will replace Eric Holder as the top law enforcement official in the country.

Lynch waited nearly six months for her nomination to be confirmed, in one of the longest cabinet-level delays in U.S. history, according to The New York Times.

Although Republicans agreed that Lynch, 55, was qualified for the job, many deeply opposed her for defending President Obama‘s executive actions on immigration.

Obama weighed in on the controversial confirmation delay last week, calling it “crazy” and “embarrassing,” according to the AP.

On Thursday, he told reporters, “Loretta has spent her life fighting for the fair and equal justice that is the foundation of our democracy. She will bring to bear her experience as a tough, independent and well-respected prosecutor on key, bipartisan priorities like criminal justice reform.”

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