CHICAGO (AP) — The Illinois Supreme Court has unanimously picked a Democratic appellate judge as an interim replacement for longtime Justice Tom Kilbride, who conceded he has been ousted in a retention vote.

Republicans immediately slammed the selection of 74-year-old Robert Carter as interim justice. They had envisioned the six remaining justices ― three from each party ― would deadlock on a temporary Kilbride replacement, keeping the court evenly balanced until the next election in 2022. Kilbride will leave the bench in December.