Peter Welch

Peter Francis Welch (born May 2, 1947) is an American attorney and politician who has served as the U.S. Representative for Vermont's at-large congressional district since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party and has been a major figure in Vermont politics for over three decades. Welch served in the Vermont Senate from 1981 to 1989, including terms as Minority Leader. He was the Senate's President pro tempore from 1985 to 1989, the first Democrat to hold the position. In 1988, he gave up his seat to run for the United States House of Representatives and lost the primary for the Democratic nomination to Paul N. Poirier. He was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Vermont in 1990, and lost the general election to Republican Richard A. Snelling. Welch continued to practice law and returned to politics in 2001, when he was appointed to fill a vacancy in the Vermont Senate. He was reelected in 2002 and 2004 and served as Senate President from 2003 to 2007. In 2006, Welch made a successful run for the U.S. House of Representatives, winning the election to succeed Bernie Sanders, who was elected to the United States Senate.