Becca Balint has won the Democratic nomination for Vermont’s at-large congressional district. The state Senate President is favored to win the general election in the heavily Democratic state. A win in November would make Balint the first openly LGBTQ lawmaker as well as the first woman ever elected to Congress from Vermont.
“I’m humbled and honored by this victory,” Balint posted on Twitter Wednesday morning. “This was only possible because of people from every corner of Vermont who banded together to work and vote for a brighter future. This is your victory, because this has always been a movement by and for all VTers. Together we made history.”
I'm humbled and honored by this victory. This was only possible because of people from every corner of Vermont who banded together to work and vote for a brighter future. This is your victory, because this has always been a movement by and for all VTers. Together we made history. pic.twitter.com/kHAnO0Lf3B
— Becca Balint for Congress (@BeccaBalintVT) August 10, 2022
“Vermont has chosen a bold vision for the future, and I will be proud to represent us in Congress,” she continued. “We can preserve democracy, tackle climate change, bridge inequality, and make the health care system work for all of us. I know that we will.”
“Tonight voters made their voices heard loud and clear: they are excited about Becca and her compelling vision for Vermont and our country, one founded in courage and kindness,” LGBTQ Victory Fund president and CEO Mayor Annise Parker said in a statement. “For nearly a decade, Becca has worked tirelessly to enact meaningful legislation to increase fairness and equity in her community. Now, she is ready to do the same in Congress. With legislation currently moving through Congress to enshrine LGBTQ rights and abortion rights into federal law, the urgency of this election could not be more clear. Our community and allies cannot afford to wait—or sit on the sidelines—when the rights of millions of Americans are on the line. We are confident Becca will continue to be a fierce pro-equality, pro-choice champion for all Americans.”
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
In her Congressional campaign video, Balint spoke of shifting attitudes about LGBTQ people in her own Brattleboro, Vermont, neighborhood. After moving there with her wife, she connected with a neighbor who displayed anti-gay signs.
“From a wave to a conversation to a borrowed lawn mower, things changed and the sign came down,” she said.
In March, Balint told LGBTQ Nation that her main reason for running for Congress is to combat the rising threat of authoritarianism in the U.S. “Being in my office when the January 6th insurrection happened, it really hit me quite hard thinking about what we need to do as a nation to get beyond this moment that we’re in,” she said.
She also said she is focused on stemming the rising tide of Republican extremism by reaching across the aisle. “I do think it’s my job not just to prop up democrats and progressives in my party to stand up against that kind of hatred. It’s also important for me to invest in my Republican colleagues who also want a different way and a different path forward. They need to feel like we are not abandoning them entirely because of the rise of Trumpism if they don’t see themselves in line with that.”
