Live Results: Democratic Rep. Peter Welch wins against Republican Gerald Malloy in Vermont's US Senate election
- Democratic Rep. Peter Welch wins against Republican Gerald Malloy in Vermont's US Senate race.
- Welch has represented Vermont's at-large congressional district for 15 years.
Polls have closed in Vermont and Democratic Rep. Peter Welch has won against Republican Gerald Malloy to represent the state in the US Senate.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, who has represented Vermont in the US Senate since 1975 and is third in line to the presidency, announced last November he would not seek reelection, opening up the seat for the first time in nearly five decades.
Vermont's Senate race candidates
Welch, who has represented Vermont's at-large congressional district in the House since 2007, is running for Senate with a breadth of political experience.
Prior to his time in Congress, Welch served in the Vermont State Senate for over a decade, during which he served as minority leader and president pro tempore.
Welch advocates for lowering the cost of prescription drugs, providing affordable childcare, and expanding access to broadband in rural parts of the country. He currently serves as chief deputy whip for the House Democratic Caucus and has Sen. Bernie Sanders' endorsement.
Welch did run into some trouble last year, however, when he violated the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012 by failing to properly disclose stock trades. He has since sworn off trading individual stocks.
If elected, Welch would be one of the oldest freshman senators in US history.
Malloy, Welch's opponent, is a West Point graduate and decorated Army veteran. Following his retirement from active duty in 2006, Malloy found work in business and has been in management and executive positions.
Malloy advocates for energy independence, fighting the opioid crisis and reducing the cost of healthcare.
Vermont's voting history
The state voted for Joe Biden over then-President Donald Trump by a margin of 35 percentage points in the 2020 election.
From 1856 through the election of 1988, Vermont went Republican in every election except 1964, when it voted for Lyndon Johnson over Barry Goldwater. In 1992, the state broke this tradition, voting for President Bill Clinton over President George H.W. Bush, and has gone Democratic ever since.
The money race
According to OpenSecrets, Welch has raised $5.2 million, spent $2.8 million, and has $2.4 million cash on hand, as of October 19. His opponent, Malloy, has raised $249,272, spent $169,727, and has $81,063 cash on hand, as of October 19.
What experts say
The race between Welch and Malloy is rated as "solid Democratic" by Inside Elections, "solid Democratic" by The Cook Political Report, and "safe Democratic" by Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.