Dem. Sen. Patrick Leahy Says No To Reelection

patrick leahy
patrick leahy

Vermont’s Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy has announced that he won’t run for re-election in November next year. His decision opens up another seat that the Democrats will have to defend aggressively if they are to maintain their wafer-thin majority in the Senate.

Senator Patrick Leahy was elected for the first time in 1974. At present, he is the president pro tempore of the chamber. This position places him 3rd in line to the presidency after VP Kamala Harris and Nancy Pelosi, Speaker at the House of Representatives.

In his statement announcing his retirement, he said that it was time he passed on the responsibility to another Vermonter to carry on working for the great state. He added that he would not be seeking reelection.

During his tenure, Vermont turned from a strong base of the Republicans to one of the most progressive of states. The US senate is perfectly balanced with 48 Democrats supported by 2 independents and 50 Republicans. With this knife-edge situation, the Democrats can ill-afford to drop any Senate seat.

In the election next year, the Democrats will be defending 14 seats while the Republicans will be defending 20 with both parties aggressively seeking to expand their turf.

Senator Patrick Leahy Was A Champion Of Human Rights

Sen. Patrick Leahy had a solid reputation for defending human rights and has battled to ban the use of landmines and defend the rights of individuals. He has also been a staunch supporter of environmental issues. He has been particularly protective of Vermont’s Lake Champlain, which lies between his state and New York.

Patrick Leahy has his quirky side, appearing in 5 Batman movies, and is a fan of Grateful Dead. Experts predict that Dem. Rep. Peter Welch would be the choice to succeed Patrick Leahy. Welch is the lone member from the state at the House of Representatives. He has a consistent approval rating and is seen as a logical and consistent candidate.