All eyes are on U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who will announce his decision on his political future during a 10 a.m. press conference at the Statehouse on Monday, according to his press secretary.
Leahy, 81, has kept his choice to either run for a ninth term or retire in 2022 a closely guarded secret. He typically announces decisions about seeking reelection at this time of year.
Retirement of the fifth-longest serving senator would set off a chain reaction across Vermont’s political landscape. U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., is seen as a strong contender, and a vacancy in either seat would almost certainly increase the pressure to send a woman to Congress for the first time in state history.
Leahy is holding the press conference in Montpelier Monday morning ahead of returning to Washington to work on President Biden’s social spending bill.
A press alert about the 10 a.m. event distributed on Sunday made no mention of the senator’s impending announcement, but nevertheless drove fevered speculation among Vermont and DC media.
An updated alert from the senator’s press secretary, David Carle, early Monday was titled, “Senator Leahy To Announce The Decision That He And Marcelle Have Made About Their Plans For 2022; Will Speak THIS MORNING.”
VTDigger will stream the press conference live at 10 a.m.
