Vermont Rep. Becca Balint seeking second term

U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, Vermont's first woman and first openly gay person to represent the state in Congress, announced Wednesday that she's running for a second term.

Balint, a Democrat, said in Congress she has focused on making affordable housing more accessible, mental health care for all and protecting the country's democracy.

"When I was first elected to Congress, we made history together," she said in a video message announcing her reelection campaign. "I ran because I believed politics can be different and I couldn’t be more proud to continue that fight on behalf of Vermont in Washington. With courage, kindness, and hope, we can take on the extreme right-wing set on taking our rights and tearing down our democracy."

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Balint, the former president of the Vermont state Senate and a former middle-school teacher, won the race for Vermont's single seat in U.S. House in 2022.

Before Balint's win in 2022, Vermont had become the only state to have never sent a woman to Congress. She is on the U.S. House judiciary and budget committees and is a vice chair on the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

"The stakes are so high right now – with constant attacks on our reproductive rights, on our planet, and on our democracy itself. But we can’t give in to hopelessness," she said in her campaign message. "In 2024, we can pull democracy back from the brink and make government work for the people again. That’s what I’m fighting for in Congress."

Balint appears to be the only U.S. House candidate in Vermont to date. The state's primary is on Aug. 13 and the filing deadline for major party candidates is May 30.