Conservatives named Judge Neil Gorsuch as their favorite for the Supreme Court even before President Trump announced his appointment, according to a pre-announcement poll by FedUp PAC.

Gorsuch was the pick of a majority, 54%, while Thomas Michael Hardiman trailed far behind at 8% and William Pryor, Jr. at 7%. Eleven percent hoped someone other than those three would be selected, while 14% were not sure.

Gorsuch has earned conservative support with his performance as a Federal judge since 2006. One study found his record to be more like that of Scalia than the other two front-runners. He has been especially noted for his support of religious liberty, which was a vital issue for many Trump supporters. The strong pro-abortion line of both Obama and Clinton, the Solicitor General’s comment that churches might lose tax-exempt status for treating homosexuality as a sin, and Clinton’s statement that more laws are needed because religious ideas change too slowly all stoked fears that government was moving towards the criminalization of Christian beliefs.

Gorsuch will face a difficult confirmation battle. Many Democrats had already made up their minds, before Trump’s announcement, that any nominee should be blocked by a filibuster. Republicans will need to win over eight Democratic Senators to end a filibuster, but many Democrats running for reelection next year will have to worry about losing the general election if they vote against Gorsuch and losing the Democratic primary if they support him.

FedUp PAC is a grass roots organization that wants constitutional conservatives to take over the GOP because Americans are fed up with the Republican establishment. It is not affiliated with any candidate or committee.