Washington (CNN) In only a few weeks, Judge Neil Gorsuch went from the federal appellate bench in Colorado, to become President Donald Trump's nominee for the US Supreme Court.

This photo provided by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals shows Judge Neil Gorsuch.

His quick ascent is due to a combination of factors, including his track record, demeanor and the impression he has made on Trump and the small circle advising him on how to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Another factor -- one beyond Gorsuch's control -- is likely also in play: the fiery atmosphere on Capitol Hill as Democrats vow to make the Supreme Court hearings one of the biggest fights in the early days of the Trump presidency.

Gorsuch's name -- previously unknown to many -- only recently came on the radar of court watchers waiting anxiously to see who Trump eventually decided upon.

Trump met Tuesday to discuss the nomination with Vice President Mike Pence, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, as well as Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Sens. Chuck Grassley and Dianne Feinstein.

Gorsuch, 49, has been on the radar of some judicial conservatives for some time. He has long been a favorite of legal thinkers at the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation.

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