SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Becca Balint, president of the Vermont Senate, defeated Lt. Gov. Molly Gray in the Democratic primary for the state's open U.S. House seat on August 9, 2022. (Photo: Becca Balint).
Becca Balint, Backed by Bernie Sanders, Wins Vermont US House Primary
"This was only possible because of people from every corner of Vermont who banded together to work and vote for a brighter future," said the victorious candidate.
Aug 10, 2022
Becca Balint, a former public school teacher and current president of the Vermont Senate, notched a victory for progressives on Tuesday when she won the Democratic primary for the state's lone seat in the U.S. House.
"Hunger is a policy choice. Homelessness is a policy choice. We can make different choices."
Supported by democratic socialist U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders--Vermont's most popular and influential political figure--Balint soundly defeated Lt. Gov. Molly Gray, who was backed by the state's retiring U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, a corporate Democrat. With nearly all of the ballots counted, Balint is beating Gray by a margin of 60.6% to 37%.
"I'm humbled and honored by this victory," Balint tweeted Wednesday morning. "This was only possible because of people from every corner of Vermont who banded together to work and vote for a brighter future. This is your victory, because this has always been a movement by and for all VTers. Together we made history."
"The challenges we face are immense, and too many people still live on the margins, struggling with homelessness, growing inequality, climate catastrophe, and a healthcare system that puts corporations before people," she continued.
"I will never, as long as I live, accept the unconscionable wealth gap in this country," said Balint. "Hunger is a policy choice. Homelessness is a policy choice. We can make different choices. The work is not easy, but it can be joyful."
Balint, the first woman and openly gay person to be elected president of the Vermont Senate, added that the state "has chosen a bold vision for the future, and I will be proud to represent us in Congress."
"We can preserve democracy, tackle climate change, bridge inequality, and make the healthcare system work for all of us," said the fierce social justice advocate who supports the Green New Deal and Medicare for All, among other progressive priorities. "I know that we will."
After winning what many considered a proxy battle between the Democratic Party's egalitarian and neoliberal wings, Balint is poised to become Vermont's first woman member of Congress. She is seeking the seat left open by Rep. Peter Welch (D), who is running to replace Leahy in the upper chamber.
A Republican has not been elected to Vermont's at-large House seat since 1988. Balint, who will face GOP nominee Liam Madden in November's midterms, is heavily favored to retain the seat for her party.
Environmentalist Bill McKibben, a Vermont resident, applauded Balint for running a "brilliant campaign." Assuming that Balint wins her upcoming contest, the U.S. will "have a new and powerful voice for rural progressivism!" he added.
Sanders also congratulated Balint, describing the candidate he endorsed as "the kind of person we need in Washington to tackle the countless crises we face, from the existential threat of climate change to affordable housing and healthcare."
"To the volunteers who knocked on doors, who made phone calls, who donated to our campaign," Balint wrote on social media, "I cannot thank you enough."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Kenny Stancil
Kenny Stancil is senior researcher at the Revolving Door Project and a former staff writer for Common Dreams.
Becca Balint, a former public school teacher and current president of the Vermont Senate, notched a victory for progressives on Tuesday when she won the Democratic primary for the state's lone seat in the U.S. House.
"Hunger is a policy choice. Homelessness is a policy choice. We can make different choices."
Supported by democratic socialist U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders--Vermont's most popular and influential political figure--Balint soundly defeated Lt. Gov. Molly Gray, who was backed by the state's retiring U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, a corporate Democrat. With nearly all of the ballots counted, Balint is beating Gray by a margin of 60.6% to 37%.
"I'm humbled and honored by this victory," Balint tweeted Wednesday morning. "This was only possible because of people from every corner of Vermont who banded together to work and vote for a brighter future. This is your victory, because this has always been a movement by and for all VTers. Together we made history."
"The challenges we face are immense, and too many people still live on the margins, struggling with homelessness, growing inequality, climate catastrophe, and a healthcare system that puts corporations before people," she continued.
"I will never, as long as I live, accept the unconscionable wealth gap in this country," said Balint. "Hunger is a policy choice. Homelessness is a policy choice. We can make different choices. The work is not easy, but it can be joyful."
Balint, the first woman and openly gay person to be elected president of the Vermont Senate, added that the state "has chosen a bold vision for the future, and I will be proud to represent us in Congress."
"We can preserve democracy, tackle climate change, bridge inequality, and make the healthcare system work for all of us," said the fierce social justice advocate who supports the Green New Deal and Medicare for All, among other progressive priorities. "I know that we will."
After winning what many considered a proxy battle between the Democratic Party's egalitarian and neoliberal wings, Balint is poised to become Vermont's first woman member of Congress. She is seeking the seat left open by Rep. Peter Welch (D), who is running to replace Leahy in the upper chamber.
A Republican has not been elected to Vermont's at-large House seat since 1988. Balint, who will face GOP nominee Liam Madden in November's midterms, is heavily favored to retain the seat for her party.
Environmentalist Bill McKibben, a Vermont resident, applauded Balint for running a "brilliant campaign." Assuming that Balint wins her upcoming contest, the U.S. will "have a new and powerful voice for rural progressivism!" he added.
Sanders also congratulated Balint, describing the candidate he endorsed as "the kind of person we need in Washington to tackle the countless crises we face, from the existential threat of climate change to affordable housing and healthcare."
"To the volunteers who knocked on doors, who made phone calls, who donated to our campaign," Balint wrote on social media, "I cannot thank you enough."
Kenny Stancil
Kenny Stancil is senior researcher at the Revolving Door Project and a former staff writer for Common Dreams.
Becca Balint, a former public school teacher and current president of the Vermont Senate, notched a victory for progressives on Tuesday when she won the Democratic primary for the state's lone seat in the U.S. House.
"Hunger is a policy choice. Homelessness is a policy choice. We can make different choices."
Supported by democratic socialist U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders--Vermont's most popular and influential political figure--Balint soundly defeated Lt. Gov. Molly Gray, who was backed by the state's retiring U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, a corporate Democrat. With nearly all of the ballots counted, Balint is beating Gray by a margin of 60.6% to 37%.
"I'm humbled and honored by this victory," Balint tweeted Wednesday morning. "This was only possible because of people from every corner of Vermont who banded together to work and vote for a brighter future. This is your victory, because this has always been a movement by and for all VTers. Together we made history."
"The challenges we face are immense, and too many people still live on the margins, struggling with homelessness, growing inequality, climate catastrophe, and a healthcare system that puts corporations before people," she continued.
"I will never, as long as I live, accept the unconscionable wealth gap in this country," said Balint. "Hunger is a policy choice. Homelessness is a policy choice. We can make different choices. The work is not easy, but it can be joyful."
Balint, the first woman and openly gay person to be elected president of the Vermont Senate, added that the state "has chosen a bold vision for the future, and I will be proud to represent us in Congress."
"We can preserve democracy, tackle climate change, bridge inequality, and make the healthcare system work for all of us," said the fierce social justice advocate who supports the Green New Deal and Medicare for All, among other progressive priorities. "I know that we will."
After winning what many considered a proxy battle between the Democratic Party's egalitarian and neoliberal wings, Balint is poised to become Vermont's first woman member of Congress. She is seeking the seat left open by Rep. Peter Welch (D), who is running to replace Leahy in the upper chamber.
A Republican has not been elected to Vermont's at-large House seat since 1988. Balint, who will face GOP nominee Liam Madden in November's midterms, is heavily favored to retain the seat for her party.
Environmentalist Bill McKibben, a Vermont resident, applauded Balint for running a "brilliant campaign." Assuming that Balint wins her upcoming contest, the U.S. will "have a new and powerful voice for rural progressivism!" he added.
Sanders also congratulated Balint, describing the candidate he endorsed as "the kind of person we need in Washington to tackle the countless crises we face, from the existential threat of climate change to affordable housing and healthcare."
"To the volunteers who knocked on doors, who made phone calls, who donated to our campaign," Balint wrote on social media, "I cannot thank you enough."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.