May 29, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Which one state has never sent a woman to Congress?

Mike Allen

Molly Gray, Becca Balint and Sianay Chase Clifford — From left: Sianay Chase Clifford, Molly Gray and Becca Balint. Photos: AP

I wouldn't have guessed Vermont, either.

Driving the news: With a rare opening in its congressional delegation, the Green Mountain State is poised to lose its distinction as the only state that has never been represented by a woman in Washington, AP's Wilson Ring reports from Montpelier.

The big picture: Three women — Lt. Gov. Molly Gray, Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint and Sianay Chase Clifford, a social worker and former Capitol Hill aide — are among the Democrats competing in a Aug. 9 primary. It's for a seat being vacated by the state's lone U.S. House member, Democrat Peter Welch, who's trying to move to the Senate.

The two Republican candidates registered to run in the midterm elections are also women.

Between the lines: Given Vermont's liberal reputation, it might seem strange that it would be the last state to send a woman to Congress.

But Vermont's tiny population makes it one of a handful of states with the smallest possible congressional delegation — two senators and one House member. And like many states, Vermont has traditionally re-elected its incumbents, who have happened to be white men who have ended up serving for extraordinarily long stretches.
That includes Democrat Patrick Leahy, who was first elected in 1974 and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in history.

Trivia answer: In 2018, Vermont became the last state without female representation in Congress when Mississippi Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith was appointed to the Senate.

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Which one state has never sent a woman to Congress?

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