Vermont could soon send its 1st woman to Congress
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) has decided not to seek re-election, a move that's shaking up politics in a state where open seats are a rarity.
Leahy announced on Monday that after 47 years in the Senate, he's "ready to pass the torch" to someone else. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) has suggested to colleagues that he'd like to be that person, indicating that he'll run for the seat being vacated by Leahy, people familiar with the matter told Axios. Welch, 74, has held his seat for 13 years, and while local analysts believe he'd likely face a challenger from the left in the primary, they also say he has a good shot at winning.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Lawmakers in Vermont settle into their roles — Leahy has been a senator since 1975, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has served in Congress for 31 years — and since the state has just one House representative, it's rare for there to be an open seat. Another person who is comfortable in their position is Gov. Phil Scott (R), who won re-election by 41 points and has said multiple times he's not interested in running for Senate.
-
How the FCC’s ‘equal time’ rule worksIn the Spotlight The law is at the heart of the Colbert-CBS conflict
-
What is the endgame in the DHS shutdown?Today’s Big Question Democrats want to rein in ICE’s immigration crackdown
-
‘Poor time management isn’t just an inconvenience’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Witkoff and Kushner tackle Ukraine, Iran in GenevaSpeed Read Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held negotiations aimed at securing a nuclear deal with Iran and an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine
-
Pentagon spokesperson forced out as DHS’s resignsSpeed Read Senior military adviser Col. David Butler was fired by Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin is resigning
-
Judge orders Washington slavery exhibit restoredSpeed Read The Trump administration took down displays about slavery at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia
-
Hyatt chair joins growing list of Epstein files losersSpeed Read Thomas Pritzker stepped down as executive chair of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation over his ties with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
-
Bondi, Democrats clash over Epstein in hearingSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi ignored survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded that Democrats apologize to Trump
