Sotomayor speeds toward Supreme Court confirmation

Even two of her Republican critics called the 55-year-old appeals court judge’s rulings “mainstream’’ - noteworthy concessions for President Obama’s first high court nominee.

If confirmed, Sotomayor would become the first justice appointed by a Democratic president in 15 years, and the hearings were as much a prelude for future Supreme Court fights as a battle over the judge herself. Republicans repeatedly criticized Obama’s past assertion that he wanted a justice with “the quality of empathy,’’ and Sotomayor disavowed Obama’s statement as a senator that some decisions would be determined by “what is in a judge’s heart.’’

Republicans, expressing concern that she would bring bias to the court, gave Frank Ricci, a white New Haven firefighter whose reverse discrimination claim was rejected by Sotomayor and two other appeals court judges, a speaking role at the hearing. He complained that the ruling showed a belief “that citizens should be reduced to racial statistics,’’ but declined when given the chance to say Sotomayor’s nomination should be rejected.

Her panel’s ruling was overturned last month by the Supreme Court she hopes to join.

As Sotomayor concluded three grueling days of nationally televised question-and-answer rounds in the Judiciary Committee’s witness chair, the panel’s senior Republican, Jeff Sessions of Alabama, said, “I look forward to you getting that vote before we recess’’ on Aug. 7.

Sessions, who declared he still had “serious concerns’’ about Sotomayor, said he wouldn’t support any attempt to block a final vote on confirmation and didn’t foresee any other Republican doing so. A committee vote on confirming her is expected late this month.

Four days of confirmation hearings concluded just before nightfall yesterday after an afternoon of testimony from 30 other witnesses, including Sotomayor’s mentors and supporters as well as critics who voiced concerns about how she would rule on matters involving abortion, gun, and property rights.

Her elevation all but assured, Sotomayor took few risks during her own testimony, repeatedly sidestepping questions on hot-button issues like guns and abortion rights and defending speeches that have been faulted as showing bias.