After months of avoiding answering whether he would vote to confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Phil Bredesen bucked his party Friday, saying in a statement he supports the judge's confirmation moments before a key vote in the upper chamber began.

Noting that presidents have the right to appoint judges who share their values and that elections have consequences, Bredesen said, "I believe a Senator’s responsibility to ‘advise and consent’ is not a license to indulge in partisanship, but should focus on the qualifications of the nominee, their ethics and their temperament."

Bredesen said he thought Kavanaugh "initially met this test" and he was prepared to say yes to his nomination prior to Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's sexual assault allegations against the judge.

"While the subsequent events make it a much closer call, and I am missing key pieces of information that a sitting Senator has, I’m still a ‘yes'."

Bredesen's support of Kavanaugh comes as members of his own party, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have staunchly opposed the nominee, criticized the F.B.I.'s investigation into allegations of sexual assault and accused Republicans of dismissing Ford's testimony.

Last week, Ford told the Senate Judiciary Committee that Kavanaugh sexually assault her in 1982. Kavanaugh defiantly rejected Ford's allegations.

In his statement, Bredesen addressed Ford, calling her a "heroine" who has forcefully called national attention to the barriers women face in reporting and dealing with sexual harassment and assault.

"I was disgusted by the treatment she received at the hands of the Senate and am determined to help bring about a fairer and far more respectful treatment of these issues,” Bredesen said.

Bredesen's opponent — U.S. Rep Marsha Blackburn, a Republican — has for weeks said she would vote for Kavanaugh if she were in the Senate. In recent weeks, Blackburn, as well as state and national Republicans, have criticized Bredesen for not saying how he'd vote on the Supreme Court nominee.

Shortly after Bredesen announced his decision, Blackburn criticized her opponent calling it a "ploy" to divert attention from the former governor's record.

"His campaign is bought and paid for by Chuck Schumer and national Democrats, including Michael Bloomberg," she said, referring to the Senate Minority Leader and the former New York mayor who is set to hold a fundraiser for Bredesen, respectively.

Blackburn added, "(Bredesen) put off an answer on Judge Kavanaugh for 88 days, under Chuck Schumer’s direction to stay neutral as long as you can."

More:Marsha Blackburn says she would vote to confirm Kavanaugh amid 'PR stunt by the Democrats'

Neither Bredesen or Blackburn will actually have a vote on Kavanaugh, given that they are not yet in the Senate.

Until Friday, Bredesen had frequently avoided answering the question, instead focusing on how Democrats and Republicans have handled the nomination process — he said it "disgusts" him — while expressing support for delaying a vote until after the FBI further investigated Ford's claims.

His support for Kavanaugh will likely ruffle feathers with some in his own party, given how the issue has galvanized Democrats and Republicans throughout the country.

More:In Tennessee Senate race, Bredesen still mum on confirming Kavanaugh

At an Oct. 1 forum in Chattanooga, Bredesen was briefly booed in front of a Democrat-heavy audience of supporters when he declined to say how he would vote on Kavanaugh.

As of publication, Bredesen's decision makes him the only Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate to support Kavanaugh's nomination.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va, was the lone Democrat to vote along with Republicans to advance Kavanaugh's nomination Friday morning.

His decision also underlines a central theme throughout Bredesen's campaign — that his party affiliation does not define him.

On the campaign trail: How Phil Bredesen hopes to win Tennessee's US Senate race

On the campaign trail:How Marsha Blackburn hopes to win Tennessee's US Senate race

At the same time, Bredesen's decision is a political gamble, as he hopes to shore up support from Republican and independent voters in a race that is expected to be close.

In an effort to push back against Blackburn's and other Republicans' assertions that he would be a lackey to national Democrats, Bredesen said at a recent debate that he would not vote for keeping Schumer as the party's leader in the Senate.

After announcing his decision on Kavanaugh, Bredesen's campaign released a new ad highlighting his independence while governor.

The Senate advanced Kavanaugh's nomination with a procedural vote Friday. A final vote is scheduled for Saturday.

Reach Joel Ebert at jebert@tennessean.com or 615-772-1681 and on Twitter @joelebert29.