Members of both parties also expressed concern at the time about his qualifications for such a senior position, as well as charges that he had exaggerated his résumé.

But just nominating Mr. Ratcliffe creates a benefit for the White House: Once Mr. Trump sends formal nomination papers to the Senate, it will extend the time the current acting director, Mr. Grenell, a favorite of Mr. Trump’s, can remain in the office. And in the minds of some Democrats, that was the president’s goal at a time when he is seeking to impose greater control over the nation’s intelligence agencies after years of tension that started with the intelligence community’s consensus that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election to help Mr. Trump.

Under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, Mr. Grenell can serve in his post only until March 11 unless the president formally nominates someone else for the job. Under that law, Mr. Grenell would be able to stay an additional 210 days once Mr. Ratcliffe is nominated. Should the Senate reject Mr. Ratcliffe, Mr. Grenell’s tenure would be extended again.

Some people close to the White House said they believe Mr. Ratcliffe stands a better chance at confirmation now than he did last summer. They said his robust defense of Mr. Trump during the House’s impeachment proceedings and effective questioning of Democratic witnesses had impressed senators who had expressed concerns about him, including Mr. Burr.

One senior administration official said the situation was “different” than it was with Mr. Ratcliffe in July, but also conceded that Trump officials were “cleareyed” about earning the needed votes.