The US Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday approved Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be the first Hispanic justice.The one Republican who broke ranks and supported the judge was Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. The panel’s vote was 13-6. But four other Republicans on the committee have said they’ll vote for Sotomayor when her nomination comes before the full Senate. That’s expected next week.

In a statement Graham saids he would not have chosen her, but he says he understands why President Obama did. Graham says he was gladly giving her his vote, believing that she has the qualifications. The senator went on to say that America has changed for the better with her selection.

Contrary to the opinion of the six Republicans on the panel, some Republicans have said that opposing Sotomayor could hurt their party’s efforts to broaden their base and gain the support of Hispanics, a very fast-growing segment of the voting population.