U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner met on Tuesday with President Donald Trump’s nominee to fill the vacant U.S. Supreme Court seat of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

“Judge Amy Coney Barrett and I had a productive meeting where we discussed the proper role of the Judiciary, her record as a federal appellate judge, and her extensive academic work,” Gardner said in a statement, accompanied by a photo of the two in his office. “I am confident that Judge Barrett is a highly qualified jurist who has thought deeply about the Constitution, the role of precedent in judicial interpretation, and the importance of judges following the law as written rather than legislating from the bench.”

Multiple Democratic senators have stated they will refuse to hold meetings with Barrett because they view the process as illegitimate. Their reaction mirrors that of Republicans four years ago, when President Barack Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland to fill another election-year vacancy.

According to the Colorado Times Recorder, Gardner never met with Garland. The senator’s statement at the time read: “Our next election is too soon and the stakes are too high; the American people deserve a role in this process as the next Supreme Court Justice will influence the direction of this country for years to come.”

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet’s office said that Barrett has not requested a meeting with the senator.