On September 7, President Donald J. Trump nominated Matthew Spencer Petersen, a commissioner with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), to serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Petersen, a Republican, is one of the five remaining FEC commissioners.

Without Peterson, the FEC will have only four of the six required commissioners serving, all with expired terms. With Petersen’s absence from the FEC there will remain two registered members of the Republican Party, one registered member of the Democratic Party, and one Independent, Chairman Steven T. Walther.

The FEC requires at least four commissioners to agree for any official action. A replacement for Petersen will be selected by the president and then confirmed by the U.S. Senate. No more than three members of the FEC may be registered with the same political party.