U.S. Senator Leahy won’t seek re-election, putting Democratic seat in play

By Reuters Posted on November 15, 2021

U.S. Treasury Secretary Yellen testifies before Senate Appropriations subcommittee

FILE PHOTO: Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) questions Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing to examine the FY22 budget request for the Treasury Department on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, U.S., June 23, 2021. Greg Nash/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

By Richard Cowan and Jason Lange

WASHINGTON – Democratic U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont on Monday said he will not seek re-election in November 2022, opening up another seat that Democrats will need to aggressively defend if they are to maintain their razor-thin Senate majority.

First elected in 1974, Leahy, 81, serves as the chamber’s president pro tempore, a position that places him third in line to the U.S. presidency, after Vice President Kamala Harris and House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.