California Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye told CALmatters that she had been deliberating her decision for a while but made up her mind after watching the backlash following multiple sexual assault allegations leveled against Kavanaugh.

Christine Blasey Ford, a professor from Palo Alto, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in September, alleging that Kavanaugh assaulted her in the 1980s when they were both high school students.

Kavanaugh vehemently denied the allegations in his subsequent hearing and was later confirmed to the nation’s highest court.

Cantil-Sakauye said she decided to re-register with no-party affiliation, saying she didn’t look at it as leaving the Republican Party.