Vermont *finally* sent a woman to Congress

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It might come as a surprise that deep-blue Vermont was the state that took the longest to send a woman to Congress. Despite its progressive reputation, it took until this past midterm to break the Green Mountain State’s streak of electing men.

The woman who managed to bust through that seemingly unbreakable ceiling? That would be Democratic Rep. Becca Balint, a 54-year-old former pro tempore president of the Vermont senate (and former middle school teacher, rock-climbing instructor and current mother) who also happens to be the state’s first LGBTQ+ congressperson.

Balint is no stranger to firsts. She was also the first openly gay woman to serve in Vermont’s senate, and then the first openly gay person and the first woman to run it. All that ceiling-shattering has left her with a lot to say about navigating a career in politics – when you don’t necessarily fit in. This week, I spoke with her about double standards for mothers on the campaign trail, how D.C. is like an ant-farm, and the challenge of bringing joy to Congress. The transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

I was surprised that it’s taken this long for Vermont to send a woman and an LGBTQ person to represent them. What might be contributing to that?

We have been really well served by our congressional delegation for a long time. Vermonters often feel like we’ve been so fortunate to have what they see as the best congressional delegation in the country. We’ve had Senator Patrick Leahy for a long time and Senator Bernie Sanders, Congressman Peter Welch. We, like a lot of smaller states, very much appreciate our incumbents because everybody gets to know people directly. It’s not a very populated state, so people do get a sense of who their elected officials are, and they like to stick by people who have been good to them.

Another issue is that, structurally, it is difficult for people to run statewide because there aren’t that many positions. Just across the border, New Hampshire has been much more successful sending women to Congress, but there are more positions available.

The last thing I would say is that it is still very difficult for women in politics to be successful because of all the additional responsibilities. We tend to have the homefront. And I know I would not be where I am today if I didn’t have a partner who completely and totally supported my desire to be in politics – she and the rest of my family, who made a lot of sacrifices so that I can do the work that I do.

We, as women, get asked questions when we run for office that men don’t get asked. When I first ran for state senate, the Monday after I announced, there was an anonymous letter in my mailbox, saying: “you should not be running for office, you should be home with your kids.”

As someone who didn’t get into politics right after college, what drew you to it?

The truth is, I always wanted to be in politics. I knew that at a really young age. I knew at 17 it was what I wanted to do. I just didn’t see a path. I didn’t have anyone in my family who had any connection to political office of any kind. My dad was an immigrant. My mom came from a working class family, so it was kind of a weird pipe dream. And I didn’t have any role models of out gay politicians. When I was growing up, the only gay politician I knew was a man named Harvey Milk in San Francisco, and he had been assassinated, and so it just didn’t seem real that I could do that.

It was much later in my 40s when both my wife and my mentor said, “You don’t want to look back at your life and regret that you didn’t try to do the thing that was your life’s calling.”

I said to my wife, “But we’ve got two small kids. This isn’t a good time.” And she said, “Well, it’s never gonna be a good time, because you’re a mom.”

How has your identity shaped your politics, both in Vermont and in D.C.?

It’s very difficult to separate who I am from the work that I do. I can tell you that the throughline through my work, not just in politics but also when I was a middle school teacher, the goal was always about alleviating suffering. I think being a woman and experiencing sexism and being a queer person and experiencing homophobia, has made me a deeply compassionate person. And it has made me strive always for more equity, more inclusion.

I’m going to do everything I can to make life easier for people and I’m going to do it in a joyful way. In terms of my policy aims, one of my biggest issues that I want to work on in Congress is the mental health crisis in this country and how it is impacting young people. I bring my experience as an educator to that and my experience as a mom, but also as someone who has struggled with anxiety and depression my whole life. … If I can use my perspective on my platform, to alleviate that suffering, then that’s everything to me.

How has your experience so far been in Washington? Is it what you expected?

It’s a very interesting organism. It’s almost like an ant farm. You know, everybody scurrying around underground, day in and day out. And so the sheer volume of people moving around each day, between office buildings, between the Capitol, that was surprising to me.

The thing that hasn’t surprised me is that it’s made up of people, and people are, in many ways, very fragile beings that want to be seen for who they are.

When I was first running, people said, “You’re not going to be able to be that same people-loving, joyful person that you are in the Vermont State Senate. You’re not going to be able to do that in Congress.” And I found that to be absolutely not true.

Whether you are the person riding the elevator, or the security guard checking somebody in, or the colleague who sits next to you on the floor, people want to be acknowledged as mattering in the world. …

And I am trying to do my part to remind people on a daily basis that we feel better about ourselves and our work when we take time to do that.

POLITICO Special Report

“From agitator to insider: The evolution of AOC,” by Nicholas Wu and Jordain Carney for POLITICO: “Her evolution is driven partly by a new political reality for her party: Democrats lost the House last year, and progressives have found a lot to like in Joe Biden’s first two years in the White House. But Ocasio-Cortez’s shift also comes as the 33-year-old lawmaker is mulling her next steps.”

“Whitmania: Dems eye Michigan gov’s sister for battleground House race,” by Sarah Ferris, Ally Mutnick, Nicholas Wu for POLITICO: “Liz Whitmer Gereghty, the Westchester County-based sister of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, is seriously considering a run for one of the House’s most high-profile battleground seats this cycle, according to two people familiar with her thinking who were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss her plans.”

“Florida Senate approves 6-week abortion ban as two Republicans vote ‘no’” by Arek Sarkissian for POLITICO.

Number of the Week

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MUST READS

“Women account for two-thirds of US student loan debt. Here’s how it affects them,” by Alia Wong for USA Today: “Women, and women of color in particular, are paid less than similarly educated men for the same jobs. So, they are more likely to return to school to bolster their resumes and earn a salary that can support all their expenses, which are often greater than that of men.”

“Jane LaTour, Fighter for Women in Labor Unions, Dies at 76,” by John Leland for The New York Times.

“Why the wage gap differs among Asian-American women,” by Chabeli Carrazana and Jasmine Mithani for The 19th: “On average, AAPI women earn 80 cents for every $1 earned by White men when looking at both full- and part-time workers, more than any other racial group of women. …

“But that figure obscures the harsher realities faced by Southeast Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women, who see some of the largest wage gaps in the country. The 80 cent average captures an enormous range: Taiwanese women earn more than White men, about $1.08 for every White man’s $1, while Nepalese women earn 48 cents on the dollar. The AAPI umbrella encompasses the varied experiences of people across continents and oceans, missing the unique experiences of those communities in the United States.”

“Taliban bars Afghan women from working for U.N., organization says,” by Rick Noack and Haq Nawaz Khan for The Washington Post.

“Kansas bans transgender athletes from women’s, girls’ sports,” by John Hannah for The Associated Press.

“Women More Likely to Be Rejected When They Ask for More Pay,” by Jeff Green for Bloomberg.

Quote of the Week

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Transitions

Jen Wlach is launching Maven Media Strategies, a new comms consulting firm. She previously was a partner at Mercury, and is an ABC News alum.

Jessica Shortall has joined the R Street Institute to lead its Safer from Harm coalition, a new effort to advance harm reduction public policy. She previously was VP of corporate engagement at America Competes and managing director of Texas Competes. … Rebecca Osmolski is now digital media manager for Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek. She previously was digital director for Gov. Kotek’s gubernatorial campaign. …

… Amanda Rogers Thorpe is now a national security adviser for Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.). She previously was House Select Committee on Intelligence defense subcommittee staff director and is a Dutch Ruppersberger alum. … Angela Bell is now manager of state programming at GOPAC. She previously was grassroots manager at FreedomWorks. … Tori Bateman is now outreach/grasstops coordinator at the Quincy Institute. She was previously policy advocacy coordinator at the American Friends Service Committee. (h/t Playbook.)