Supreme Court vacancy upends presidential race

The sudden death of US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia opened a new and incendiary front in the already red-hot 2016 presidential race, one that promises to divide Democrats and Republicans and, perhaps, Republicans from themselves.

The vacancy on the court, which is now evenly split 4-4 between its conservative and liberal wings, has Republicans calling on President Barack Obama to refrain from choosing a successor to the right-leaning Scalia while Democrats are urging Obama to do as the US Constitution requires and put forward a candidate to face confirmation in an albeit hostile Senate.

The prospect of such a battle drew swift and furious comment from candidates vying to be elected president in November.