President Donald Trump on Friday nominated Danielle Thumann Severs, the Senior Counsel to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr, to fill one of two vacant seats at the agency.
If confirmed by the Senate, Thumann Severs would serve a five-year term retroactive to July 1, 2024, according to a White House filing sent to the Senate.
The nomination comes shortly after the FCC’s Republican majority voted to eliminate the national television ownership cap, a decision that split the commission along party lines and drew criticism from Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez.
Thumann Severs currently advises Carr on matters before the FCC’s Wireline Bureau, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau and Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. She previously served as Carr’s Legal Advisor from March 2021 to July 2023, then spent a year in government relations for Crown Castle before returning to Carr’s office in August 2024.
Carr praised the nomination in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
“Danielle is a dedicated public servant and has consistently delivered policy wins from bridging the digital divide and protecting consumers to advancing public safety,” Carr wrote.
Thumann Severs previously worked as an associate attorney at Wilkinson Barker Knauer in Washington. She earned a law degree, cum laude, from the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia.
Her confirmation would give Republicans three seats on the FCC, the maximum number allowed from one political party under federal law and the minimum number needed for a quorum. The commission has operated with vacancies since the departures of Republican Nathan Simington and Democrat Geoffrey Starks in June 2025.
Gomez is currently the lone Democrat on the commission. Her term expired June 30, but she can remain in holdover status until a successor is confirmed, she is renominated or the next session of Congress ends.
The possibility of a three-member Republican quorum has raised questions about Gomez’s future at the agency, particularly after Trump removed Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission. Radio Ink noted that the Supreme Court’s ruling in “Trump v. Slaughter” could give the president authority to remove independent agency commissioners without cause.
Gomez congratulated Thumann Severs in a post on X.
“Serving on this Commission is one of the most rewarding jobs in government,” Gomez wrote. “I look forward to continuing our work together, hopefully soon with a full Commission of five, the way this agency was built to operate.”
NAB President and Chief Executive Officer Curtis LeGeyt also welcomed the nomination, calling Thumann Severs “a dedicated public servant who is well regarded across all sectors of the communications bar.”
“Her extensive experience at the Commission and deep understanding of communications policy will serve her well in this important role,” LeGeyt said. “We look forward to working with her throughout the confirmation process and, if confirmed, as a commissioner.”
