WICHITA, Kan. (AP) – Former Kansas Attorney General Steve Six’s bid for a seat on a federal appeals court is now expected to be debated on Thursday by members of the U.S. Senate judiciary committee.

The debate comes in the wake of announcements by Republican Sens. Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran that they will oppose the confirmation of the Democrat from Kansas.

Law professor Carl Tobias of the University of Richmond says it is a whole lot easier for nominees to get confirmed to the federal bench with the support of their home state senators, but it’s not impossible.

The judiciary committee is made up of 10 Democrats and eight Republicans. Tobias says if Six gets any Republican votes in committee he has a good chance for a floor vote later in the Senate.