By Brent Addleman | The Center Square
When U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy announced last week he wasn’t running for re-election after serving the people of Vermont for nearly half a century, the first question asked was who was going to take his place.
U.S. Rep. Peter Welch announced on his Facebook page he is running for Leahy’s seat, stating, “The Senate hangs in the balance and the whole country will be looking to Vermont. We’re ready. We’re ready to fight and win the Senate seat. Join us.”
Welch, who’s served in Congress since 2007, said that in “Vermont we listen more than we talk.”
“I got into politics as a community organizer after I saw what housing discrimination was doing to communities in Chicago,” Welch said. “I learned that the best way to help people is to start by listening. To focus on the solution, not who gets the credit – that is the Vermont way.
“It is how I get things done as Vermont’s Congressman. It’s how I’ll get things done if Vermont elects me your senator.”
Welch said COVID-19 has been long and hard not only on the people of Vermont and “it shouldn’t be hard for your government to help people.”
“And yet everything – everything – voting rights, Medicare for all, a Green New Deal, lowering prescription drug costs, reproductive justice, racial and economic justice – everything gets filibustered by the Mitch McConnell Republicans in the Senate,” Welch said. “They are fighting for failure.”
Welch said he is committed to passing a positive agenda and that the open seat in Vermont will draw “powerful outside interests” who will be looking to advance their agenda and not the will of the people of Vermont.
According to Welch’s bio, he has worked across the aisle to create jobs, increase access to education and health care, in addition to making investments in the energy sector, environmental conservation and placing a focus on veterans.
Welch was born in Massachusetts in 1947 and worked in Chicago, where he was a Robert F. Kennedy Fellow battling against housing discrimination. He moved to Vermont after law school, where he worked as a public defender before starting his law practice.
His political career began in 1980 when he was elected to the Vermont Senate to represent Windsor County and later was the first Democrat to serve as president of the Senate.
He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006. He currently serves as Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democratic Caucus and is a member of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.
He serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
I hope Meg Hansen runs as well. Sky is the limit for that courageous woman. And if Welch loses, we’ll be rid of his flat lander ignorance much like Tim Ash.
The whole country is looking at Vermont – pointing and laughing.
We NEED Meg Hansen to RUN!!!!
Let’s hope they won’t spot this commie clown.
By the time the 22 midterms come around bydones numbers will be in the
single digits and the country will be in the worst recession of our time…
People will be sick of all Demwits who have supported his and pelosi’s policies..
I’m sure the whacky leftist here will instill the carpetbagger lawyer in leaky’s spot
but he should be irreverent from a red tide sweep of disgruntled Americans… blow it out your butt you worthless blowhard…
The consolation prize is that smarmy pete will be in the minority when he gets there. The radical transformation of America will be on hold once again.
But petey will be fulfilling his lifelong goal of being a senator.
pompous ass
The country is looking at Vermont.. he’s right the country is looking and laughing their pants off…
We have a RINO Gov. who flip flops and is controlled by the out of staters who moved here and took over the legislation…The Gov calls the governors of NY and Cal for advice.. which is a real joke…
We have a Commie Senator who never had a “REAL” job in his whole life. Has a wife who has committed bank Fraud and got a college closed down because of the fraud.
Have a Senator who should have retired yrs ago.
We have an AG who is a coward…
We have legislators who steal from Vermonters. right Zuckerman…
Vermont gets money from the Federal Government and the liberal out-of-staters in legislation gets the money first for their pet projects and for their “friends”
The only reason Scott gets reelected is that the left knows they can control him…
Welch, yeah Welch mmm can’t think of anything he has done for Vermont. He’s a little coward…He tries to talk big but he hasn’t outgrown his little boy’s pants yet.
Vermont use to be a great state.. look at it now.. 98% of the legislators are from out of state. None of them have done anything for Vermonters, just for themselves.,
It’s about time we TAKE BACK VERMONT !!! Make it Vermont again, Vermont was never a racist state now they claim we are. We welcomed everyone no matter who you were or what color you are. We have people (liberals) who move here and because there’s not a lot of colored people here we are a racist state. If you don’t like it here GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM. Stop making Vermont into the rat hole you came from.
OK, I said my piece…
This is the first thing Peter Welch got correct. ” The whole Country will be watching VT “,
they will, and they’ll be wondering what “Buffoon ” we’ll be sending to DC, we’ve been the
laughing stock for years !!
Wake up people, elections have consequences……………
Please Vermont, don’t send this guy to the Senate.
Trying to remember any positive impact Welch has had for Vermont in Congress, I come up blank.
Texans have an expression:
“All hat, no cattle”
The big question is: does the VTGOP have a strong and sufficiently-Trump-disconnected woman to run, who can appeal to what’s left of Vermont’s political center?
We know how the democrats love to bring up that Vermont has never sent a woman to Congress, yet it was the VTGOP that ran a very qualified woman with top leadership qualities, Martha Rainville against Peter Welch in 2006. So, we have had the OPPORTUNITY to elect a woman to Congress, but instead we thought it best to elect a white, male attorney. With Welch’s announcement for the Senate race, I want to re-purpose my homemade car window sign slogan from back then to say: “the Senate needs another woman, not another lawyer”.
@ Rich, How about Meg Hansen!!!??
What hubris this represents, Mr. Welch – to think that your election will hold the balance in the U.S. Senate. Five will get you ten, the Senate balance turns in 2022 no matter what your election outcome.
We’ve had enough Saul Alinsky type ‘community organizers’. Never mind that your wife happens to be one of only three Vermont Public Utility Commisioners to boot. Please, take your conflict of interest back to Chicago.
Boom.
On all points.