Trump Nominates Anonick and Rowland to a CFTC Run by One Commissioner

The White House sent the Senate two CFTC nominations on 12 November, for a full term to 2031 and a partial one to 2028. If both are confirmed, Chairman Michael Selig would no longer act alone as states and courts contest the commission's hold on prediction markets.

• President Trump nominated Nathan Anonick, of Virginia, to a CFTC term expiring on 19 June 2031, in place of Rostin Behnam, whose term has expired
• Matthew Rowland, of the District of Columbia, was nominated for the remainder of the term expiring on 13 April 2028, in place of Summer K. Mersinger
• Both nominations were received on 12 November and referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
• The same message carried two nominations to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Kristin N. Johnson and Steven Levine
• Selig, reported as the commission's only sitting member, has been running a CFTC that is suing Arkansas and ordering exchanges to drop state geofencing

Two Seats on a Five-Member Commission

The nominations appear in the White House list of nominations sent to the Senate dated 12 November. Congress.gov records them as parts 1 and 4 of nomination PN1489, both received that day and referred to the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, which oversees the CFTC.

Anonick's nomination is for a full term expiring on 19 June 2031, "vice Rostin Behnam, term expired". Rowland's is for "the remainder of the term expiring April 13, 2028, vice Summer K. Mersinger".

Parts 2 and 3 of PN1489 are SEC nominations, referred to the Senate Banking Committee: Kristin N. Johnson, of Michigan, for a term expiring on 5 June 2029 in place of Caroline A. Crenshaw, and Steven Levine, of Maryland, for a term expiring on 5 June 2030 in place of Hester Maria Peirce.

What the Nominees Bring

The White House list gives no biographies. InGame reported that Anonick is a Republican and counsel to Senator John Boozman on crypto and derivatives markets, and that Rowland is a Democrat and a CFTC staff attorney. Neither the White House nor Congress.gov states a party for either nominee.

InGame quoted Selig on X calling them "two strong bipartisan picks" and saying the chairman looked forward "to working with each of them upon their confirmation by the US Senate". The same report describes Selig as the commission's sole member.

The Statutory Shape

Under the Commodity Exchange Act, the CFTC is "composed of five Commissioners" appointed with the Senate's consent, each serving five years, and "not more than three" may belong to the same political party. Two confirmations would leave two seats empty.

A One-Member Commission Has Been Making Contested Calls

Selig's CFTC has spent the autumn widening the federal claim over event contracts: suing Utah and Arkansas over their cases against Kalshi, and giving exchanges 30 days to stop geofencing states. A federal judge has meanwhile said the commission likely lacked authority to approve Kalshi's stock perpetuals. A second commissioner, and a minority voice, would mean those positions face a vote inside the agency rather than a single signature.

The Partisan Pairing Is a Signal, Not a Settlement

Pairing a reported Republican with a reported Democrat is the conventional route through a Senate committee. It does not settle the substance. A Democrat confirmed to the commission could dissent from the geofencing order and the state suits, and confirmation hearings would give senators of both parties a forum on prediction markets.

Timing Rests With the Agriculture Committee

The nominations reached the Senate on 12 November. The committee's schedule will decide whether the commission gains members this year or the nominations wait for the new Congress.

Two nominations would bring the CFTC to three members if confirmed. Until then, Selig's single vote remains the commission's only one.