NLRB’s Vacant GOP Seat Likely to Remain Empty Until Summer

Democrats now have a 3-1 edge on the federal labor board with Republican member John Ring’s term expired—but don’t expect his seat to get filled anytime soon.

Management-side and union advocates both expect the Biden White House to leave the slot vacant for the time being to avoid a potential nomination logjam on Capitol Hill, particularly if Ring’s replacement isn’t packaged with a Democratic nominee to balance out opposition. Dec. 16 was Ring’s last day, while the term for Democratic member Gwynne Wilcox’s ends in August 2023; Wilcox is expected to be renominated.

The prediction underscores how tangled politics at ...