Story highlights Manchin and Heitkamp, two Democrats from red states, will back Neil Gorsuch

Democrats have stated their intention to filibuster the nomination

Washington (CNN) West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp on Thursday became the first Democratic senators to publicly declare their intention to vote for Neil Gorsuch, President Donald Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court.

"After considering his record, watching his testimony in front of the Judiciary Committee and meeting with him twice," Manchin said in a statement Thursday, "I will vote to confirm him to be the ninth justice on the Supreme Court."

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Democrats have stated their intention to filibuster Gorsuch's nomination, while Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Trump's nominee will be confirmed by next Friday, April 7. That has led to speculation of the so-called "nuclear option," which would change the Senate rules and essentially eliminate the use of filibusters in future Supreme Court fights.

"He has a record as a balanced, meticulous, and well respected jurist who understands the rule of law," Heitkamp said of Gorsuch in a statement. "He has unique and critical experience with tribal sovereignty, Indian law, and public lands issues in the west, and has received the endorsement of numerous tribes and major Native American organizations."

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