Vermont Business Magazine Many Vermonters have weighed in on the announcement today by Senator Patrick Leahy that he will not seek reelection in November 2022. His retirement will mark the end of a career that began in 1974, when he became the first Democrat since the Civil War and youngest person ever elected to the US Senate from Vermont.
Senator Bernie Sanders
“I know I speak for all Vermonters in expressing the deep gratitude we feel for the extraordinary role that Pat Leahy has played in representing Vermont in the U.S. Senate for the last 46 years.
“He has been a towering figure as chairman of the Agriculture Committee, the Judiciary Committee, and the Appropriations Committee. He leaves a unique legacy that will be impossible to match. Jane and I wish him and Marcelle a wonderful and well-earned retirement.”
Congressman Peter Welch
“It is a historic and bittersweet day. Like so many Vermonters, I appreciate the incredible service that Patrick J. Leahy and Marcelle Leahy have given all of us in Vermont for so long, but it is hard to imagine the United States Senate without Patrick Leahy. No one has served Vermont so faithfully, so constantly, so honestly, and so fiercely as Patrick.
“Patrick’s life as our longest-serving senator has been dedicated to serving Vermont, always putting Vermonters and their values and aspirations first. Patrick loves Vermont and Vermonters love Patrick. While Patrick has been a giant in the U.S. Senate, consulted by presidents and world leaders, he is always happiest on his farm in Middlesex and being with his fellow Vermonters. He never left his roots in Montpelier or the values of his parents, who instilled decency, honesty, and service.
“With his wife Marcelle as a true partner in his journey, at his side every step of the way, Vermont has been enriched by their devotion to our democracy and our beloved Green Mountain State. Their leadership and legacy of service to Vermont will never be exceeded. Thank you, Patrick and Marcelle.”
As for his own political plans, Welch said Tuesday: “Earlier today, I joined friends, staff, and colleagues to honor Senator Leahy and Marcelle as he spoke on the Senate floor. In the coming days, I will make a decision about my future plans and share that decision with Vermonters. Until then, I hope Vermonters will join me in celebrating the remarkable legacy of Patrick and Marcelle Leahy's service to our state.”
Governor Phil Scott
“On behalf of all Vermonters, I want to thank Senator Leahy for his nearly five decades of service in the U.S. Senate, and for all he has done for Vermont over the course of his extraordinary career.
“The Senator has been an incredible champion for Vermonters, and his leadership and experience has ensured our state is well represented in Congress. It is thanks to him, and the funding he’s secured for our state, that Vermont is in a position to come out of this pandemic stronger than before and tackle big challenges from broadband and infrastructure to the opioid crisis. We are indebted to him.
“On a personal note, I greatly appreciate the Senator’s friendship and his willingness to work with me and my team over the last five years. It is with the greatest respect and gratitude that I wish him, Marcelle and their entire family all the best for a bright future, and – come January 2023 – enjoyment throughout a well-deserved retirement.”
Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray
“In these challenging times when the needs of our state are so great, it is hard to imagine not having Senator Leahy at the helm continuing the fight for Vermont in Washington. As Vermonters, we have been served well by Senator Leahy’s fierce commitment to the needs of our small, rural state over the last five decades.
"Senator Leahy and Marcelle, as well as the entire dedicated and hardworking Leahy staff, have assisted countless Vermonters and have served tirelessly with an increasingly rare humility, compassion and, commitment to service, good government and meeting human needs.
"Over the last five decades, when at times our nation’s moral compass has wavered, Senator Leahy has remained steady, standing by Vermont’s values and working to ensure our nation respects and protects those values. From human rights and civil liberties to international engagement and humanitarian relief, Senator Leahy has served as Vermont and our nation’s north star.
"Senator Leahy’s public service remains an inspiration to me, to generations of Vermonters, millions of Americans, and to countless people around the world whose lives are better for his service.
"I offer Senator Leahy and Marcelle a bittersweet and most heartfelt congratulations on today’s announcement and I look forward to the continued work we will do together for Vermont in the year ahead.”
Secretary of State Jim Condos
“Words alone cannot express my gratitude for Senator Leahy’s decades-long championing of voting rights and voter access.
"Senator Leahy has always used his voice to speak out against injustice at the ballot box. He has worked to fight voter suppression and mend the torn fabric of disparate voter protections from state to state.
"His appropriations pen has helped ensure that our election systems were adequately funded, and that we had the resources in Vermont, and across the country, to bolster the security and integrity of the voting process.
"In addition, Senator Leahy has championed the environment - especially Lake Champlain, protecting and improving human rights, banning landmines and protecting individual privacy rights.
"I know that I join a long line of Vermonters, and Americans, forever grateful for everything the Senator has done. Bruce Wayne once said ‘Batman has no limits,’ but in real life we know that Senator Leahy has been the real limitless superhero fighting for fair elections and for our democracy.”
House Speaker Jill Krowinski
“Senator Leahy has been a tremendous public servant and his decades of service to Vermont will have a lasting impact for generations to come. Marcelle and the Leahy family, too, have been incredible in all they have done for Vermonters during his time in office. I am deeply thankful for his leadership and steadfast advocacy of our brave little state.
“There are too many accomplishments to put in a single press statement, but Senator Leahy’s advocacy for human rights, the environment, the opioid crisis, and judicial reform are all things that stand out to me when I reflect on his time in the U.S. Senate. I always enjoy seeing him when he is back in Vermont, and how much he cares for Vermonters and the future of our state. His passion for Vermont is inspiring and serves as a model for those in public service.
“Vermonters are so fortunate and thankful for your time in office, Senator Leahy. You have done so much in supporting our state and your legacy is one that we will reflect and appreciate for years to come."
Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint
"It is almost impossible to find words to do justice to the gift of service Senator Patrick Leahy, Marcelle Leahy, and their family have given Vermonters and Americans over the course of his incredible career. His exceptional commitment to our state’s values of progress, equality, and dignity for all have improved the lives of generations of Vermonters. He has been a champion for agriculture, environmental issues, data privacy, humanitarian aid, civil liberties and human rights, and he’s done truly extraordinary work on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"I’m personally grateful for the care and concern he demonstrated every time his committee was called upon to vet a judge or justice. He once said, “We need to consider nominations as thoroughly and carefully as the American people deserve. No one is entitled to a free pass to a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court.” I always felt safer knowing that Pat Leahy was in the room. He would ask the right questions and hold nominees accountable for past words and deeds. He knew the judicial system was the keystone for protecting marginalized communities, LGBTQ+ Americans and working families.
"As we all will be rejoicing in Senator Leahy’s countless accomplishments for a long time to come, this is also a day of loss for Vermonters and Americans. Vermonters are losing a longtime champion, and Americans are losing a senior statesman, a man with the wisdom, intelligence, and experience to know when to fight and when to compromise in service of building a stronger nation. To paraphrase a line of the Grateful Dead, one of his favorite bands, Pat Leahy has always “sung a song of his own.”
"I want to also say that I remain in awe of the stalwart and expansive service Marcelle Leahy has given to us all. Her kindness and warmth embraces everyone. The genuine affection and love of the Leahys - and their willingness to share that with us - is always a bright light for me when I think of what public service can look like. It can be done in loving partnership and with a strong commitment to family.
"On behalf of the Vermont Senate, my family, and all Vermonters, I thank Senator Leahy for the love and consideration he has always brought to his work and look forward to celebrating him as he ends a storied career of public service."
“Senator Patrick Leahy’s contributions to Vermont have been vast and profound. In Burlington alone, his hard work, wisdom, and persistence have rebuilt the post-industrial shores of Lake Champlain into one of the country’s best 21st century lakefronts, transformed Church Street into one of America’s great pedestrian marketplaces, and strengthened our vital institutions for the future, from the ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain to the Burlington International Airport.
"The Senator has personally impacted the lives of so many Vermonters over his long and steady career of service. I will always be grateful for the eight months in 1991 when I served as an intern and mail clerk in Senator Leahy’s D.C. office learning lessons of collaboration, commitment, and the impact of public service that have stayed with me to this day. Stacy and I congratulate and thank the Senator and Marcelle for their incredible service to our state and wish them all the best for the momentous year ahead and all their future endeavors. Burlington and Vermont looks forward to welcoming them home.”
State Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale
"This morning, Senator Patrick Leahy announced his decision not to seek a ninth term in the United States Senate.
"For decades Senator Leahy has been a titan of the Vermont and American political landscape. He championed values that Vermonters hold dear on issues such as voting rights, global freedoms, the needs of small businesses and rural communities, and action on our changing climate.
"He is a trailblazer who became the youngest Senator to be elected from Vermont at the age of 34 in 1974. After 47 years of service, he remains the only Democrat to have held this office in Vermont, helping to build a party that could answer the civil unrest of a generation. As the most senior member of the Senate, he has brought our state’s needs to the table during discussions around infrastructure and pandemic recovery, ensuring that Vermont can access the resources needed to support our communities and be an experiment station for innovation on health care, rural development, clean water, public lands, and so much more.
"As we stare down the tumultuous road ahead, Vermont will need leaders who we can trust to authentically represent and fight for our needs at every level of government and carry on his legacy. Since my political career began in Vermont over a decade ago, Senator Leahy and Marcelle have been there at so many steps along the way to tell me they are proud of me - and it’s meant a great deal.
"Senator, it’s our turn to say that Vermont is deeply proud of you and Marcelle for representing us so well for so long. Thank you, Senator Leahy and Marcelle, for showing us how to serve selflessly and with honor, representing Vermont’s values in Washington and beyond. Stepping aside to let the next generation step up is yet another act of visionary leadership. We will not let you down.
VTGOP Chairman Paul Dame
“In 1975 Patrick Leahy became the first and still only Vermonter to get elected to the U.S. Senate as a Democrat. The VT Republican Party wishes him good health and a restful retirement, and we look forward to the opportunity to return that seat in the Senate back to Republican control.
"With a rare vacancy and the current 50-50 divide in the Senate Vermont Republicans will enjoy an incredible opportunity to recruit the kind of high caliber candidate to win this seat and make Vermont more competitive than ever before.
"With national Democrats fracturing between the volatile Progressive wing and the Democratic establishment wing of the party, it will be interesting to see if backroom arrangements have already been made to tip the scales and appoint someone before his term ends, or to force certain interested Democrats to “wait their turn.”
"If Democrats have not already pre-arranged this outcome and bypassed their party’s voters, we can expect to see a divisive primary to replace a man who was able to keep the peace due to his power and influence – but will be able to do so no longer.
"Either way Vermont Republicans will build on growing Republican momentum, as evidenced in the red waves of Virginia and even deep blue New Jersey. And as state party chairman I am already focused on improving the infrastructure we need to send a Republican to the U.S. Senate, and elect Republicans up and down the ballot."
Vermont Chamber President Betsy Bishop
“We thank Senator Patrick Leahy for his leadership serving Vermonters for nearly five decades. Senator Leahy has been a champion for Vermont businesses and thriving downtowns, supporting sustainable economic growth and development across the state. He always listened to Vermonters and put their needs first. It’s clear that Senator Leahy’s sense of Vermont stems from his roots in Burlington. But he also has a solid understanding of Vermont’s rural landscape because of his farm and residence in Middlesex, which is also my hometown. This shared experience in both the urban and rural parts of Vermont has grounded him to serve our state and our country with honor and a sense of place. We celebrate Senator Leahy’s long-term leadership and all he has accomplished for Vermont.”
John R. Brumsted, MD, President and CEO, The UVM Health Network
“Like my fellow Vermonters, I am both heartened and saddened by the news from Senator Leahy today. Senator Leahy’s long service to our State and Nation is inspiring, and his legacy will be felt for generations. Senator Leahy has worked tirelessly to advocate for, showcase and honor his home state, bringing the Green Mountains to Washington, D.C., through hearings, events, food, stories and his photography. The health of Vermonters has been improved time and again thanks to Senator Leahy’s leadership, most recently thanks to his advocacy for COVID-19 relief funding for Vermont, which in turn ensured our health care system was able to remain stable and provide services for the patients who need us most. On behalf of the University of Vermont Health Network, I wish Senator Leahy and Marcelle well as they make this transition, and look forward to seeing them in Vermont more often.”
Lucy Leriche, Vice President of Public Affairs, Planned Parenthood Vermont Action Fund:
“Planned Parenthood Vermont Action Fund is so grateful to Senator Patrick Leahy for his years of service to Vermont and the entire country. Senator Leahy has been a steadfast champion of reproductive rights and affordable health care, holding firm on his belief that everyone who requires care should have access, regardless of their income or where they live. We wish him well in his retirement.”