U.S. Senator Leahy won't seek re-election, putting Democratic seat in
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[November 16, 2021]
By Richard Cowan and Jason Lange
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Democratic U.S.
Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont on Monday said he will not seek
re-election in November 2022, opening up another seat that Democrats
will need to aggressively defend if they are to maintain their
razor-thin Senate majority.
First elected in 1974, Leahy, 81, serves as the chamber's president pro
tempore, a position that places him third in line to the U.S.
presidency, after Vice President Kamala Harris and House of
Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
His retirement could open an opportunity for Democratic Representative
Peter Welch to run for Senate.
"It is time to pass the torch to the next Vermonter who will carry on
this work for this great state," Leahy said in making the retirement
announcement in his home state.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2021/Nov/16/images/ads/current/heartland_lda_NOV2021.png)
"I will not run for re-election," he added.
The U.S. Senate currently is evenly split with 50 Republicans, 48
Democrats and two independents who align with Democrats.
Democrats next year will be defending 14 of their currently held seats
and Republicans will defend 20, as both parties also attempt to expand
their Senate turf. While it marks a steeper climb for Republicans,
mid-term elections generally favor the party that does not hold the
White House, where Democratic President Joe Biden resides.
Leahy chairs the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee which oversees
federal spending. In that role and previously as the "ranking" Democrat
under a Republican chairman, he has been at the center of negotiations
on deals to avert government shutdowns for lack of funds.
While Leahy's Vermont Senate seat is seen as still leaning Democratic,
political volatility in next year's congressional campaigns could make
this race one to watch as Democrats attempt to hold onto their majority.
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![](../images/111621PIX/news_L23.jpg)
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) questions Treasury Secretary Janet
Yellen during the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing to
examine the FY22 budget request for the Treasury Department on
Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, U.S., June 23, 2021. Greg Nash/Pool
via REUTERS/File Photo
![](../images/ads/current/centraldirect_lda_SPONSOR_2021.png)
With his exit, Leahy joins a growing list of federal
lawmakers whose departures could shake up next year's congressional
elections.
U.S. Representative Ann Kirkpatrick of Arizona is also retiring,
while U.S. Representative Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania has embarked on
a difficult U.S. Senate run. Both races might be competitive and
their exits could hurt Democrats' chances of maintaining a narrow
majority in the House of Representatives.
Democrats were buoyed last week by news New Hampshire's Republican
Governor Chris Sununu will run for re-election rather than challenge
Democratic U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan for her seat next year. Sununu
was seen as a strong potential challenger.
During his years in the Senate, Leahy also staked out a small place
in popular culture, appearing in five "Batman" movies. His
best-known appearance was in 2008's "The Dark Knight," in which his
character stood up to the Joker, telling him, "We're not intimidated
by thugs." In response, the Joker grabs Leahy by the head and
brandishes a knife in his face.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan and Jason Lange; Editing by Scott
Malone, Howard Goller and Andrea Ricci)
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