Balint, Vermont’s 1st congresswoman, to run again

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, Vermont’s first woman and first openly gay person to represent the state in Congress, announced Wednesday that she’s running for a second term.

Balint, a Democrat, said in Congress she has focused on making affordable housing more accessible, mental health care for all and protecting the country’s democracy.

“When I was first elected to Congress, we made history together,” she said in a video message announcing her reelection campaign. “I ran because I believed politics can be different and I couldn’t be more proud to continue that fight on behalf of Vermont in Washington. With courage, kindness, and hope, we can take on the extreme right-wing set on taking our rights and tearing down our democracy.”

Balint, the former president of the Vermont state Senate and a former middle-school teacher, won the race for Vermont’s single seat in U.S. House in 2022.

Before Balint’s win in 2022, Vermont had become the only state to have never sent a woman to Congress. She is on the U.S. House judiciary and budget committees and is a vice chair on the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

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