Rep. Rebecca Balint is aware her election last year to the U.S. House of Representatives was historic — not just because she’s the first woman and first out LGBTQ+ person Vermont ever sent to Congress, but because of the times she finds herself in. “Democracies don’t fail overnight,” Balint says. “That’s why I’m fighting alongside my colleagues and my community to stand up against any attacks to erode our democratic norms.”
As Vermont’s lone representative in the House, Balint is one of the most powerful people in a state that’s produced political icons like Bernie Sanders and Howard Dean. Even after years serving in Vermont’s state legislature, Balint had to battle her own imposter syndrome.
“As a mom, a teacher, and an openly gay woman, my communities and other marginalized communities aren’t always represented in spaces of power — like the halls of Congress. And as the child of a working-class mom and an immigrant dad, I never thought elected office could be for me,” she says. “That question of belonging never quite leaves you, but you learn how to manage it. I’m so grateful to have found a support system that showed me there was a place for me in government.”
Serving on the House Judiciary and Budget Committees, Balint has a lot on her plate, but improving life for her community is always top of mind. “I want the LGBTQ+ community to know I’m fighting for our rights every day in Congress as they continue to come under attack from every direction,” she says. @repbeccab
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