Balint wins Vermont’s Democratic primary for US House

By WILSON RING
Associated Press

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — The leader of the Vermont state Senate Becca Balint could become the first woman and the first openly gay person to represent the state in Congress. On Tuesday, she won the Democratic Party nomination to seek the state’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Balint easily defeated the more centrist Lt. Gov. Molly Gray. Balint was endorsed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. Vermont’s current member of the House won the Democratic Party nomination to run for the U.S. Senate seat that has been occupied by retiring Sen. Patrick Leahy since 1975. Welch had held the House seat since 2007.