BECCA BALINT
Like many Americans, Becca Balint spent the afternoon of January 6, 2021, in “a state of shock.” It was then Balint, then a Vermont state senator, made the decision to run for Congress. “I ran, like so many of my freshman colleagues, to shore up our democracy, to fight for truth, and restore faith in our government,” she says. And she won. Now a United States Representative, Balint is the first woman and out gay person to represent her home state of Vermont—and it’s a responsibility she takes seriously. “I’m the child of a working-class mom and an immigrant dad,” she says. “As a mom, a teacher, and an out gay woman, my communities and other marginalized communities aren’t always represented in spaces of power. It’s an honor to represent my state and the voice of so many who can’t be in the room.” Balint served in the Vermont state senate for eight years and ultimately as President Pro Tempore in 2021. During this time, she led the passage of the first gun safety laws in Vermont history and worked to secure a large investment to rebuild housing stock and expand middle-income housing. Now a U.S. Representative, Balint serves as a Co-Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus and Congressional Progressive Caucus Vice Chair for New Members. And despite the new workplace, home is always top of mind. “I am very intentional in ensuring the work I do in Washington connects back home to the issues important to Vermonters,” Balint says. “And to do that, I’m focused on standing up for people and standing up for justice.”
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