The delegation in 2000: An institution of three
As the new millennium began, Vermont’s presence in Congress was the definition of entrenched. The state was represented by three iconic figures: Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, Republican Senator Jim Jeffords, and Independent Representative Bernie Sanders. Leahy, first elected in 1974, was already a Senate veteran. Jeffords, a moderate Republican, had been in the Senate since 1989 after a long career in the House. And Sanders, the lone Independent, had held Vermont's single House seat since 1991, carving out a unique space on the political left. This trio, despite their different party affiliations, reflected a Vermont political culture that valued independence and seniority.
The 2001 earthquake: Jeffords' leap
The first major tremor to shake this foundation came in May 2001.
Citing disagreements with the Bush administration's policies, particularly on tax cuts, Jim Jeffords announced he was leaving the Republican Party to become an Independent. More consequentially, he declared he would caucus with the Democrats. This single act was a national political earthquake, tipping the 50-50 Senate into Democratic control for the first time since 1994. The move instantly made Jeffords one of the most talked-about figures in American politics and signaled the growing ideological divide that would make moderate Republicans like him an endangered species.
The first succession: Sanders to the Senate
The next big shift came in 2006. After three terms in the Senate, Jeffords announced his retirement, opening up a seat for the first time in nearly two decades. Bernie Sanders, by then a 16-year veteran of the House, launched a successful campaign for the Senate, becoming the longest-serving Independent in congressional history. This created a rare open-seat race for his House position. The winner was Peter Welch, a Democrat and the then-president of the Vermont State Senate. Welch's victory marked a new era; from 2007 onward, the delegation consisted of Leahy, Sanders, and Welch—a stable triumvirate that would hold for the next 15 years.
The great shift of 2022
The long period of stability came to a dramatic end in 2022. Senator Patrick Leahy, the third-longest-serving senator in U.S. history, announced his retirement after 48 years in office. His departure set off a cascade of changes. Peter Welch announced his candidacy for Leahy's open Senate seat, which he won decisively. Welch's move, in turn, left Vermont's at-large House seat open for the first time since 2006. The race to fill it was historic. Becca Balint, then the leader of the Vermont State Senate, won the Democratic primary and the general election. Her victory was a major milestone, as she became the first woman and the first openly gay person ever elected to Congress from Vermont.
