Welch Launches Bid For Leahy Senate Seat With Bernie Endorsement

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) at President Joe Biden's signing ceremony for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act at the White House on November 15, 2021. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) announced on Monday morning that–as expected–he’s running to replace Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), who is retiring in 2023.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Vermont’s other senator, endorsed Welch shortly after the congressman announced his campaign.

Welch was first elected as Vermont’s only House member in 2006.

In his announcement, Welch signaled support for filibuster reform, blasting how Republican senators have weaponized the filibuster to obstruct Democrats’ agenda.

Welch’s campaign launch comes a week after Leahy, the Senate’s most senior member at 81 years old, announced that he would not seek reelection in the 2022 midterms.

Leahy was briefly hospitalized in January due to muscle spasms before he was released with what the senator called a “clean bill of health.” The incident highlighted the precarious state of Democrats’ razor-thin control over the Senate; Vermont Republican Gov. Phil Scott has the power to appoint an interim senator if Leahy’s seat gets vacated.

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  1. I, for one, hate when bald guys try and cover it up with plugs or a hairpiece.

    Everyone can tell. And It makes you a liar.

    And Picard is the better Captain.

    As such, I’m for Welch… “Make it so”

  2. Welch is 74 years old. Hard pass.

  3. Welch will win.
    Vermonters always vote for the sitting rep to become senator. I lived there for 30 years.

  4. Umm. Vermonters live longer healthier lives than Texans.

  5. So the median age in Vermont is 43 years old third highest after Maine and New Hampshire. Their 60 year olds out number twenty year olds. Of course age isn’t a gauge by which to judge anyone in terms of skill, ideas and the like but from experience I know that I’m not as on top of things as I used to be.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

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