Sharad Desai confirmed as judge for the District of Arizona in bipartisan U.S. Senate vote

The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly to confirm the appointment of Sharad Desai as district judge for the District of Arizona on Thursday.

Sharad Desai is a Phoenix-based attorney currently serving as the vice president and general counsel for Honeywell International’s Integrated Supply Chain and Information Technology Divisions.

He is also the brother of Judge Roopali Desai, who serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals.

“He represents the very best of the Arizona legal community. He possesses the experience, integrity and intellect to serve honorably as a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona,” Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an independent, told her colleagues in September.

Notably, the vote to confirm Desai was bipartisan and passed 82-12. Sinema said in a press release that she ensured the support.

“I’m proud to personally secure his strong, bipartisan confirmation by the U.S. Senate with a vote of 82-12,” Sinema said in the statement.

Out of several judicial nominees the Senate has considered this week, no one but Desai got more than 51 votes, and most of those were along party lines.

Earlier this year, the Senate also confirmed Arizonans Angela Martinez and Krissa Lanham as federal judges. Each secured 66 votes in the chamber and were also championed by Sinema.