Who is Peter Welch?

Peter Welch, a Democrat, won his primary election on Tuesday and secured the nomination for the US Senate seat. Welch holds the sole Congress seat from Vermont, a seat that will now be contested by Becca Balint and Liam Madden.

Welch, 75,  easily defeated two little-known candidates to move on to the general election in November. During the years he has been in Congress, Welch has been one of Vermont’s top vote-getters and would be an odds-on favorite to win the general election.

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Who is Peter Welch?

Peter Welch was born in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1947. Peter Welch is currently married to Margaret Cheney, commissioner of the Vermont Public Utility Commission. They share a home in Norwich, Vermont.

Welch graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 1969. After taking a year-long break, Welch went to the University of California, Berkeley and pursued law.

Welch first ran a small law practice in White River Junction, Vermont. He also worked as a public defender. In 1985, he was unanimously elected by his colleagues to lead the chamber, becoming the first Democrat in Vermont history to hold the position of President Pro Tempore.

Peter Welch kicked off his career in American politics in 2006, when he was elected to the US Congress. Since then, he has represented Vermont’s only Congressional seat. 

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Welch, being a senior Democrat in the House of Representatives, has been included in a variety of Congressional committees. These include the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.

He is also the Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democratic Caucus and a member of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, according to his campaign website.