The Senate voted Tuesday to confirm Rita Lin, who previously fought for marriage equality in federal court, to a lifetime federal judgeship.
Lin, 45, is now the first Chinese American woman to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Lin was confirmed in a 52-45 vote. Every Democrat present voted for her, along with three Republicans: Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska). Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) did not vote.
For the past five years, Lin has been an associate judge on the San Francisco County Superior Court, and she previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney. She was also in private practice for 10 years, during which time she became a national name in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and marriage equality.
In 2012, Lin was co-counsel in a lawsuit that resulted in the federal Defense of Marriage Act ― which defined marriage as an arrangement between one…