One week after Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy announced his retirement after nearly fifty years in the Senate, the Green Mountain State’s lone member of the House of Representatives announced that he will run for the vacancy in 2022.

What You Need To Know

  • Rep. Peter Welch announced Monday that he will seek the Senate seat vacated by the reitrement of Sen. Patrick Leahy 

  • Welch, who has served in the House since 2007, railed against Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, noting that a number of key priorities — including expanding voting rights, Medicare for all, reproductive justice and lowering prescription drug costs — get "filibustered by the Mitch McConnell Republicans in the Senate"

  • It is unclear what potential challengers may oppose Welch in a potential Democratic primary, if any, or which Republican he might face in the general election in 2022

  • Welch was quickly endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, the powerful progressive leader and Vermont's other representative in the Senate

Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., who many speculated would vie to become Leahy’s successor, made it official on Monday, releasing a campaign video in which he called Vermont’s open Senate seat crucial for Democrats to maintain control of Congress.

 

“I'm running for the United States Senate to work for you, for Vermont, for our country, and for our imperiled democracy,” Welch said in the video.

Welch, who has served in the House since 2007, railed against Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, noting that a number of key priorities — including expanding voting rights, Medicare for all, reproductive justice and lowering prescription drug costs — get “filibustered by the Mitch McConnell Republicans in the Senate.”

“Powerful outside interests will come to Vermont to try to advance their interests, not ours,” he continued. “They know an open seat in Vermont could be the difference between passing our positive agenda and Mitch McConnell controlling the Senate again. They’re fighting for failure.”

Shortly after his announcement Monday, Welch picked up a key endorsement: Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the powerful progressive leader.

"I'm proud to endorse Peter today and look forward to serving with him in the Senate," Sanders wrote on Twitter.

Welch "understands that now is the time to think big, not small," the Vermont progressive wrote. "Peter has the knowledge and experience to fight for a government that works for all, not just the wealthy few."

It is unclear what potential challengers may run against Welch in a potential Democratic primary, if any, or which Republican he might face in the general election in 2022.

Despite Vermont's voters skewing overwhelmingly Democratic, backing President Joe Biden by a two-thirds margin against former President Donald Trump in 2020, the state has not sent two Democrats to the Senate in its history. However, the state has not elected a Republican to the Senate since re-electing the late Sen. Jim Jeffords in 2000; Jeffords left the party in 2001, becoming an independent who caucuses with Democrats, until his retirement in 2006.

The state has also not picked a Republican to represent it in the House since 1991.

However, Republicans have won statewide office in recent years, including Gov. Phil Scott, who ranked as America's most popular governor with a 79% approval rating, according to a recent Morning Consult poll.

A spokesperson for Scott said last week that he has no interest in running for the open Senate seat, telling CNN: "Governor Scott has been clear that he is not running for the U.S. Senate next year. That has not changed."