Sen. Dean Heller believes Brett Kavanaugh will eventually be confirmed to the Supreme Court, despite the "hiccup" over an allegation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted a woman when he was in high school, according to The Nevada Independent.

On a Wednesday call with Republicans, Heller, who is facing a tough re-election race, said he was “grateful” to the White House and President Trump for their efforts and predicted that Trump’s second pick for the Supreme Court will end up on the bench despite a scandal that has forced the Senate Judiciary Committee to postpone a vote on his nomination.

“We got a little hiccup here with the Kavanaugh nomination, we’ll get through this and we’ll get off to the races,” he said during a call arranged by the Nevada Republican Party and reported by The Nevada Independent.

The "hiccup" in question regards a sexual misconduct allegation against Kavanaugh that surfaced in recent days. Professor Christine Blasey Ford came forward publicly over the weekend, saying that Kavanaugh pinned her down and tried to take off her clothes at a 1982 high school party in suburban Maryland.

Kavanaugh has denied the allegation, calling it "completely false."

On Thursday, Heller said "hiccup" did not refer to the sexual assault allegations themselves, but the way Democrats had handled the situation.

"No, I do not believe sexual assault allegations of any kind are a hiccup, I was referring to how poorly the Democrats have handled this process and the fact that the Democrats have not worked with the Judiciary Committee Chairman in good faith," Heller said in a statement. "I think it’s important for Dr. Ford to have the opportunity to share her story with the Judiciary Committee in public or private should she choose to do so."

He continued: "As I’ve said before, given the gravity of this appointment and this accusation, I would hope that all Senators, regardless of party, are willing to work with Chairman Grassley in good faith."

When Kavanaugh's nomination was announced, Ford sent a letter about the allegations to California Democrat Dianne Feinstein, her senator and the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. Feinstein did not disclose Ford's allegations after receiving the letter. When the story leaked last week without Ford's name, Feinstein explained that she was honoring Ford's request for confidentiality.

Rep. Jacky Rosen, the Nevada Democrat running against Heller, called Heller's "hiccup" comment “unbelievable.”

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Heller is arguably the most vulnerable GOP senator up for re-election in November. The Nevada Republican comes from a state that Hillary Clinton won in 2016, and to win, he’ll need the support of people who voted for her.

With President Donald Trump in the White House, Republicans are facing an uphill battle to court female voters this year. A USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll found the president had a 62 percent unfavorable rating among women, 8 points worse than the rating among men. The poll was conducted prior to the public revelation of the allegation against Kavanaugh.

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