Vermont could soon send its 1st woman to Congress

(Image credit: AP Photo/Wilson Ring)

published 16 November 2021

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.

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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.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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