Peter Welch brings a pragmatic progressive voice to the Senate after spending 16 years in the House, where he built a reputation as a thoughtful legislator focused on healthcare affordability, climate action, and economic inequality. A former small-town lawyer who served in the Vermont Senate before coming to Washington, he has consistently championed expanding Medicare, lowering prescription drug costs, and transitioning to renewable energy. Welch made history in 2022 as the first person elected to represent Vermont in the U.S. Senate since Patrick Leahy's retirement, inheriting the mantle of Vermont's tradition of independent-minded, socially conscious representation.