“We have totally cut out the public. We haven’t informed them,” said Watts, who suggested that the process gave “special privilege” to a candidate preferred by the Republican majority.

House Minority Leader Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax, the first woman to lead a party caucus in the assembly, called the process “shocking and disturbing” in comments to reporters after the vote, but she added, “We’re not doubting that this woman has credentials and experience as a judge.”

Filler-Corn said Democrats, who hope to take control of the House after elections in November, are likely to reconsider West in a year, if the judge seeks re-election to a full term after her current term expires on Jan. 31, 2020.

“Will it come up again? I think that’s likely,” she said.

West was one of five candidates to be certified as qualified by the Commerce and Labor committees, and seven to publicly seek the job.

The front-runner had been Clarke, general managing partner of Eckert Seamans’ Richmond law office, which lost three members of its lobbying team while the House and Senate deadlocked during a special session that began in April and continued until the assembly convened this month with no resolution of the SCC vacancy.