2022 United States House of Representatives election in Vermont


The 2022 United States House of Representatives election in Vermont was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the U.S. representative from. The election coincided with other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the U.S. Senate, as well as various other state and local elections.
Incumbent Democrat Peter Welch was re-elected with 67.3% of the vote in 2020. After eight-term U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy announced he would retire on November 15, some speculated that Welch might decline to seek re-election and instead seek election to the Senate. On November 22, 2021, Welch announced his candidacy for Leahy's seat, creating the first open U.S. House seat in Vermont since Bernie Sanders ran for the U.S. Senate in 2006.
Democratic nominee Becca Balint won the election in a landslide, becoming the first elected female member of the United States Congress in the state's history. Her main opponent in the general election, Liam Madden, won the Republican nomination but identifies as an independent who opposes the two-party system. Madden stated that he would not caucus with House Republicans if elected to Congress; the Republican Party later disavowed his campaign. Ericka Redic, who lost the Republican primary to Madden, ran in the general election as the nominee of the Libertarian Party.
Vermont was the last remaining state that had never elected a woman to the United States Congress after Mississippi elected its first woman, Cindy Hyde-Smith, in 2018. With Balint's victory, every U.S. state has now been represented in Congress by a woman at some point. Balint is also the first openly LGBTQ person to be elected to Congress from Vermont.

Democratic primary

A somewhat crowded initial primary field featuring Vermont Senate president pro tempore Becca Balint, Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray, state senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale, former congressional staffer Sianay Chase Clifford, and physician Louis Meyers was eventually winnowed down to Balint, Gray, and Meyers following the withdrawals of Ram and Chase Clifford in mid-2022. Balint received the support of Senator Bernie Sanders, and national leaders of the progressive movement such as Elizabeth Warren and Pramila Jayapal, the latter of whom backed Balint after Ram withdrew. Ram herself also supported Balint following her withdrawal. Gray received backing from members of Vermont's Democratic establishment, such as Senator Patrick Leahy and former governors Madeleine Kunin and Howard Dean.

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Withdrew

Declined

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Declined

Results

Liam Madden won the primary in a surprise victory, as Redic was considered the frontrunner. The Vermont Republican Party disavowed Madden's campaign following a meeting with him on August 15, less than a week after his victory in the primary, citing his refusal to commit to caucusing with the Republican Party if he won the election. Redic announced that she would continue her campaign into the general election as the candidate of the Libertarian Party of Vermont.

Progressive primary

Candidates

Withdrew after winning primary

  • Barbara Nolfi, clinic co-founder

Declined

Independents and other parties

Candidates

Declared

  • Matt Druzba
  • Adam Ortiz
  • Ericka Redic, businesswoman and community activist
  • Luke Talbot

Withdrawn

  • Bryan Braga

General election

Polling

Becca Balint vs. Marcia Horne

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Becca
Balint 		Marcia
Horne 		OtherUndecided
University of New HampshireApril 14–18, 2022583 ± 4.1%48%25%0%26%

Sianay Chase Clifford vs. Marcia Horne

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error
Clifford 		Marcia
Horne 		OtherUndecided
University of New HampshireApril 14–18, 2022583 ± 4.1%42%25%0%33%

Molly Gray vs. Marcia Horne

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Molly
Gray 		Marcia
Horne 		OtherUndecided
University of New HampshireApril 14–18, 2022583 ± 4.1%49%27%1%23%

Kesha Ram vs. Marcia Horne

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Kesha
Ram 		Marcia
Horne 		OtherUndecided
University of New HampshireApril 14–18, 2022583 ± 4.1%47%26%0%27%

Results

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican