One Unlikely State Has Never Had a Woman in Congress

But liberal Vermont appears poised to lose that distinction
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted May 29, 2022 10:00 AM CDT
One Unlikely State Has Never Had a Woman in Congress
Sianay Chase Clifford, a Vermont social worker who is seeking the Democratic Party nomination to run for the House, poses in Burlington, Vt.   (AP Photo/Wilson Ring)

With a rare opening this fall in its congressional delegation, Vermont appears poised to lose its distinction as the only state that has never been represented by a woman in Washington, per the AP. Three women, including Lt. Gov. Molly Gray and Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint, are among the Democrats competing in the Aug. 9 primary for the seat being vacated by the state's lone House member, Democrat Peter Welch, who is trying to move to the Senate. The two Republican candidates registered to run in the midterm elections are also women.

Given Vermont's liberal reputation, it might seem strange that it would be the last state to send a woman to Congress. But Vermont's tiny population makes it one of a handful of states with the smallest possible congressional delegation—two senators and one House member. And like many states, Vermont has traditionally reelected its incumbents, who have happened to be white men who have ended up serving for extraordinarily long stretches. That includes Democrat Patrick Leahy, who was first elected in 1974 and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in history.

“It’s a bottleneck of leadership,” said Elaine Haney, the executive director of Emerge Vermont, an organization that works to prepare women to run for elective office. “And so when someone holds on to all this for a very long time, it shuts off opportunity for everybody else.” The candidates could also make history in other ways. If elected, Balint would be the first openly gay person to represent Vermont in Congress, while Chase Clifford would be the first person of color to represent the state in Washington. The GOP candidates registered to run for the House seat are accountant Ericka Redic, who lost a state Senate race in 2020, and Anya Tynio, who ran for the House in 2018 and lost.

(More Vermont stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X