The 2022 United States Senate election in Vermont was held on November 8, 2022, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the

State of Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the ...

. Incumbent

Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Senator Patrick Leahy, who was first elected in

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...

and most recently re-elected in

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

with 61.3% of the vote, announced on November 15, 2021, that he would not seek re-election. Leahy was the only Democratic senator who did not run for re-election in 2022. Democratic U.S. Representative Peter Welch won the open seat. Primary elections were held on August 9, 2022, with Welch, the incumbent U.S. Representative for the state's at-large congressional district, winning the Democratic primary, while Republican U.S. Army veteran Gerald Malloy won the Republican primary. On election day, Welch defeated Malloy in a landslide, sweeping every county in the state and taking 67.3% of the vote to Malloy's 27.6%. As winning the Democratic nomination is seen as tantamount to election in Vermont, the race was called for Welch shortly after polls closed. At 75 years old, Welch became the oldest person ever elected to a first term as a U.S. senator and only the second Democratic senator from Vermont, after Leahy. This was the first open U.S. Senate seat in Vermont since

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

Background

On November 15, 2021, incumbent Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy announced that he would not seek re-election to a ninth term. First elected in

, Leahy is the only Democrat to ever represent Vermont in the Senate.

Democratic primary

Following Leahy's announcement that he would retire, speculation arose as to which Democrats could run to succeed him; '' Newsweek'' cited two of the leading possible contenders for the nomination as Peter Welch, who had served as U.S. Representative for Vermont's at-large congressional district since 2006, and

President pro tempore of the Vermont Senate The President ''pro tempore'' of the Vermont Senate presides over the Senate of the U.S. state of Vermont in the absence of the Lieutenant Governor. The President ''pro tempore'' also sets the policy priorities and legislative agenda for the Senat ...

Becca Balint. Also considering a run was state representative

Tanya Vyhovsky Tanya C. Vyhovsky is an American social worker and politician who has served in the Vermont Senate since January 2023. A member of the Vermont Progressive Party, she previously represented the Chittenden-8-1 district in the Vermont House of Rep ...

. However, candidates were reluctant to enter the race due to speculation that

Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007 ...

, Vermont's popular junior senator, would endorse Welch for the open seat. It was widely considered that an endorsement from Sanders would essentially lock up the race for Welch. While both men were both considered to be associated with the left-wing of the Democratic Party, Welch was noted by '' The Intercept'' to be rather more moderate than Sanders was, especially when compared to Vyhovsky. Welch announced his campaign for the seat on November 22, 2021, pledging in a campaign video to support Medicare for All and the Green New Deal; he was immediately endorsed by Sanders.

Candidates

Nominee

* Peter Welch, U.S. Representative for

Eliminated in primary

*Isaac Evans-Frantz, peace activist *Niki Thran, physician

Declined

* Becca Balint,

''( running for U.S. House)'' *

Sarah Copeland-Hanzas Sarah L. Copeland-Hanzas (born July 9, 1970) is an American Democratic Party politician who is currently serving as the Secretary of State of Vermont. She previously served in the Vermont House of Representatives from Orange County's 2nd Distric ...

state representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...

T. J. Donovan Thomas J. "T. J." Donovan Jr. (born January 15, 1974) is an American lawyer and politician who served as Vermont Attorney General from 2017 to 2022. He was first elected in 2016 with over 66 percent of the vote. He previously served for ten years ...

Vermont Attorney General The Vermont Attorney General is a statewide elected executive official in the U.S. state of Vermont who is elected every two years. It was created by an act of the Vermont General Assembly in 1790, repealed in 1797, and revived in 1904. The office ...

* Molly Gray, Lieutenant Governor of Vermont ''( ran for U.S. House)'' *

Christine Hallquist Christine Hallquist (born April 11, 1956) is an American politician and former CEO of Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC). She is the first openly transgender major-party nominee for governor in the United States, winning the 2018 Democratic no ...

, businesswoman and nominee for Governor of Vermont in

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

Jill Krowinski Jill Krowinski (born January 5, 1980) is an American politician who has served in the Vermont House of Representatives since 2012. She has served as the Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives The Speaker of the Vermont House of Represen ...

, Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives * Patrick Leahy, incumbent

U.S. senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

and

president pro tempore A president pro tempore or speaker pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase ''pro tempore'' is Latin "for the time being". ...

Kesha Ram Hinsdale Kesha Ram Hinsdale (born August 2, 1986) is an American activist and politician who serves as a member of the Vermont Senate. She served in the Vermont House of Representatives from 2009 to 2016, representing the Chittenden 6-4 District (numbered ...

state senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...

and candidate for lieutenant governor in

''(endorsed Welch; running for re-election)'' *

''( running for state senate)'' * David Zuckerman, former Lieutenant Governor of Vermont and Democratic and Progressive nominee for governor in

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

''( running for lieutenant governor)''

Endorsements

Polling

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

* Gerald Malloy, businessman and retired U.S. Army officer

Eliminated in primary

* Myers Mermel, commercial real estate banker *

Christina Nolan Christina Elizabeth Nolan (born September 26, 1979) is an American attorney and politician who served as the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont from 2017 to 2021. Prior to becoming the U.S. Attorney, she was an Assistant United Sta ...

, former U.S. Attorney for the

District of Vermont The United States District Court for the District of Vermont (in case citations, D. Vt.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the federal district of Vermont. The court has locations in Brattleboro, Burlington, and Rutland. The ...

Declined

* Jim Douglas, former Governor of Vermont and nominee for U.S. Senate in

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

* Phil Scott, Governor of Vermont ''(endorsed Nolan; running for re-election)''

Endorsements

Polling

Results

Progressive primary

Candidates

Withdrew after winning primary

*Martha Abbott, former chair of the Vermont Progressive Party and candidate for governor in

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

, and

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

Declined

''( running for state senate)''

Results

Minor-parties and independents

Candidates

Declared

*Mark Coester, truck driver *Natasha Diamondstone-Kohout (

Green Mountain Green Mountain is a common name for "The Peak", the highest point on Ascension Island, which has gained some fame for claims that it is one of very few large-scale artificial forests. History and vegetation Many early 19th-century accounts, in ...

) *Stephen Duke *Dawn Marie Ellis *

Cris Ericson Cris Ericson (born May 16, 1952) is an American marijuana legalization activist and perennial candidate for public office in Vermont. She has unsuccessfully run for the governorship of Vermont nine times and for a seat in the United States ...

, perennial candidate *Kerry Patrick Raheb, former stock broker

Declined

* Brock Pierce, cryptocurrency investor, former actor, and candidate for President of the United States in

*Christopher Helali ( Party of Communists USA), farmer and teacher

General election

Predictions

Endorsements

Polling

;Peter Welch vs. Christina Nolan ;Patrick Leahy vs. Phil Scott

Debates

Results

Notes

References

External links

;Campaign sites
Gerald Malloy (R) for Senate

Brock Pierce (I) for Senate

Kerry Raheb (I) for Senate

Peter Welch (D) for Senate
{{2022 United States elections

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

Vermont United States Senate

Background

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Declined

Endorsements

Polling

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Declined

Endorsements

Polling

Results

Progressive primary

Candidates

Withdrew after winning primary

Declined

Results

Minor-parties and independents

Candidates

Declared

Declined

General election

Predictions

Endorsements

Polling

Debates

Results

See also

Notes

References

External links