President Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated Neil Gorsuch, 49, for the Supreme Court, setting up a political battle over a judge who will help to shape the ideological makeup of the top U.S. court for years to come.

Gorsuch serves as an appeals judge for the 10th Circuit in Colorado. At 49, he is among the youngest Supreme Court nominees ever and could have a strong presence on the court for decades.

In the former reality TV star's typical fashion, Trump chose a prime-time announcement, as opposed to the more staid White House Rose Garden statement then President Barack Obama made when he nominated Washington, D.C., appeals Judge Merrick Garland for the same seat last year.

Currently, eight justices sit on the court, and Trump's pick will help to tip its balance. Chief Justice John Roberts, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito form the more conservative wing, while Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Stephen Breyer fill out the traditionally more liberal wing. Anthony Kennedy is considered a moderate and swing vote.

On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly promised a conservative justice to replace Scalia, and Gorsuch largely fits that bill.

Even with a strong track record and qualifications, Trump's nominee will likely face a battle to get confirmed. One Senate Democrat, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, has already threatened to filibuster Trump's nominee, calling the judgeship a "stolen seat."

That would mean Republicans would need 60 votes to confirm the justice. The party holds 52 seats.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., previously said he would oppose the nominee if he is not "mainstream."

Anticipating the battle, Republicans began warning Democrats against blocking Trump's choice on Tuesday.