Democrat Senator Patrick Leahy, 81, President Pro-Tempore of the US Senate as its longest-serving member, has announced that he will not seek re-election to represent Vermont for the ninth time.
He has been in the Senate since 1975, when he was elected as one of the last “Watergate babies” after the massive Nixon scandal.
Leahy joins a growing number of Democrats who are either leaving their party or are announcing their retirement coinciding with the eminently visible collapse of the Biden-Harris regime in real-time as they suffer setback after setback in Congress and in dozens of states and the devastating results of Congressional redistricting which is projected to essentially gut the Democrat party.
In a statement delivered at the Vermont State House where he announced his first campaign in 1974, Leahy broke the news:
“While I will continue to serve Vermont, Marcelle and I have reached a conclusion: it is time to put down the gavel,” said Leahy, referring to his wife. “It is time to pass the torch to the next Vermonter, who’ll carry on this work for our great state. It’s time to come home.”
“I will not run for reelection,” he added.
“I know I have been there for my state when I was needed most. I know I have taken our best ideas and helped them grow. I brought Vermont’s voice to the United States Senate and Vermont values across the world,” Leahy said.
Senator Leahy Knows What’s Coming And Knows The Time Is Now
The Hill also observed that,
“Rep. Peter Welch is largely seen as the heir apparent to replace Leahy, with the retiring senator referring to his fellow Vermont Democrat as “the remarkable Congressman Peter Welch.”
No matter the outcome here, the 80-year-old Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will no longer be considered the “Junior” Senator from Vermont.
