NCJW opposes Judge Daniel Traynor. Here’s why:
Judge Daniel Traynor’s record raises serious concerns about his ability to serve as a fair and impartial federal judge. His partisanship has been unusually public, including a 2016 social media post declaring, “It feels good to be deplorable #MAGA.” On the bench, he has consistently issued rulings that undermine reproductive freedom, weaken protections for LGBTQ+ people, restrict the rights of immigrants, and limit the federal government’s ability to implement commonsense gun safety regulations. Taken together, his public conduct and judicial record reflect an ideological approach to the law that calls into question the independence, impartiality, and commitment to equal justice expected of a judge serving a lifetime appointment to the federal bench.
Judge Daniel Traynor’s stance on important issues:
LGBTQ+ and Reproductive Rights
Judge Traynor ruled against access to abortion care and against LGBTQ+ protections in Catholic Benefits Ass’n (CBA) v. Lucas, a case in which Catholic employers challenged the Biden administration’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) policies to protect workers’ access to abortion care and fertility treatments as well as anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ individuals. The CBA claimed that the EEOC rulemaking and guidance violated their rights. Judge Traynor instead emphasized that the CBA’s religious beliefs “would be violated” if they had to comply. His decision barred the EEOC from interpreting or enforcing the statutory protections passed by Congress that required all employers to accommodate abortion care and infertility treatments and barred the EEOC from enforcing provisions that would require Catholic employers to use pronouns consistent with a person’s biological sex or to use private spaces reserved for the opposite sex.
Gun Safety
Judge Traynor ruled in favor of a challenge to Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) gun safety regulations brought by gun industry plaintiffs.
Immigration
In Carera v. Bondi, Judge Traynor ruled in favor of indefinite detention for immigrants without allowing for bond.
Education and Career Highlights:
After attending several colleges, Judge Traynor eventually received degrees from the University of North Dakota, including a BS in 1994 and a JD in 1997. Right after law school he clerked for the Chief Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court for one year. In 1998, he returned to his hometown to practice with Traynor, Rutten & Traynor. In 2020, nominated by President Trump, he was confirmed to the District Court for the District of North Dakota. He has been active in the state Republican party as state chair from 2001-2003 and district chair. He was chair of the North Dakota chapter of the Republican National Lawyers Association for nearly 20 years.