Togo West’s nomination to the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics is moving quickly through the D.C. Council. On Tuesday he received a council committee’s approval. The full council is expected to vote Thursday on the former secretary of the Army and veterans affairs.

In its recommendation that the council back West’s nomination, committee members wrote that “put simply, Mr. West’s background demonstrates the highest qualities of public service.” The committee members reiterated comments made by former D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt during a public hearing on Monday. She described West as a “first-rate professional” whose “judgment is clear and steady.”