US Federal Government Directory › VT delegation › Peter Welch
Peter Welch
Senator · VT · Junior Senator
DemocratRanking Member, Rural Development, Energy, and CreditRanking Member, the Constitution
Raised $218,690 · 155K followers (office + personal) · missed 1.6% of votes
Top contributing industries: not mapped ($20,000), Labor Unions ($10,000), Technology ($5,000), Real Estate ($5,000)
Peter Welch is a Democratic U.S. Senator for Vermont. He has served 19.7 years in Congress and is up for reelection in 2028. He raised $218,690 in the 2026 cycle so far, has 155K followers across office and personal social accounts, sponsored 84 bills in the 119th Congress, scored 0.41 on the 118th Legislative Effectiveness Score.
Background and career
Peter Francis Welch (born May 2, 1947) is an American lawyer and politician serving since 2023 as the junior United States senator from Vermont. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the U.S. representative for Vermont's at-large congressional district from 2007 to 2023. He has been a major figure in Vermont politics for over four decades and is only the second Democrat to represent Vermont in the Senate, after his predecessor, Patrick Leahy.
Education
| School | Degree | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| College of the Holy Cross | BA | source | |
| University of California, Berkeley | JD | source |
Career before Congress
| Role | Organization | Years | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attorney | Not listed | source | |
| Not listed | Southern Christian Leadership Conference | source | |
| Not listed | Lloyd Cutler | source |
Citizenship
citizen by birth in the United States.
Religion
Catholic
Name history and family
Marriages: 2 ·
Previously held offices
- United States representative (2007–2023)
- president pro tempore (1985–2007)
- member of the State Senate of Vermont (1981–2007)
- minority leader (1983–1985)
Campaign fundraising
Raised $330,882 in the 2024 cycle and $218,690 so far in the 2026 cycle (partial).
Top individual donors, 2024
| Name | Employer | Occupation | City/State | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STILLER, ROBERT | NOT EMPLOYED | NOT EMPLOYED | PALM BEACH, FL | $6,600 |
| RECHNITZ, JOAN | Not listed | Not listed | RED BANK, NJ | $6,600 |
| GORDON, PATRICIA | SELF | MD | LOS ANGELES, CA | $3,300 |
| FIELD, MARSHALL | THE OLD MOUNTAIN COMPANY, INC. | EXECUTIVE | CHICAGO, IL | $3,300 |
| KALKUT, CRAIG | WEST FRONT STRATEGIES | GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,500 |
| BOERNER, CAROL F. | SELF | MD | READING, VT | $2,400 |
| MCGUIRK, MICHAEL | UCAR | ENGINEER | WARREN, VT | $2,300 |
| FRENCH, CLARK | FRENCH & CO | REAL ESTATE | MANCHESTER, VT | $2,000 |
| WELLS, TOM | WMC HOLDINGS,INC. | CEO | CHICAGO, IL | $2,000 |
| SCHWARTZ, MARTIN | MINILEC SERVICE | CONSUMER ELECTRONICS | CARMEL, CA | $2,000 |
| ROBINSON, TIMOTHY | NOT EMPLOYED | NOT EMPLOYED | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,900 |
| WERTENBAKER, WILLIAM | NOT EMPLOYED | NOT EMPLOYED | JEFFERSONVILLE, VT | $1,260 |
| GABBERT, MARTHA | NOT EMPLOYED | NOT EMPLOYED | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $1,000 |
| EGELI, CAROLYN | SELF | ARTIST | RANDOLPH, VT | $1,000 |
| FINDLATER, CHRISTOPHER | SELF | ENTREPRENEUR | MIAMI BEACH, FL | $1,000 |
| SOARES, NATE | MACHINE INTELLIGENCE RESEARCH INSTITUT | PRESIDENT | AUSTIN, TX | $1,000 |
| EHMANN CONTE, MARTHA | RETIRED | RETIRED | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $1,000 |
| BRUE, NORDAHL L | RETIRED | RETIRED | DELRAY BEACH, FL | $1,000 |
| WOLAVER, MORGAN L | SELF-EMPLOYED | PROPERTY MANAGEMENT | RICHMOND, VT | $1,000 |
Top individual donors, 2026 (partial)
| Name | Employer | Occupation | City/State | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CARLSON, LEROY T. JR | TDS | VICE CHAIR | CHICAGO, IL | $7,000 |
| FISHER, CYNTHIA | PATIENTRIGHTSADVOCATE.ORG | FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN | NEWTON, MA | $5,000 |
| MILLER, BRADY | INDEPENDENT PRACTICE | PHYSICIAN | BETTENDORF, IA | $3,000 |
| POMERLEAU, ERNEST A. | SELF | REAL ESTATE | BURLINGTON, VT | $2,545 |
| PETERSON, MICHAEL | PETER G. PETERSON FOUNDATION | PRESIDENT & CEO | NEW YORK, NY | $2,000 |
| BOERNER, CAROL F. | SELF | MD | READING, VT | $1,800 |
| PEEBLES, JAMES | NONE | NOT EMPLOYED | BENNINGTON, VT | $1,500 |
| CLARK, KYLE | BETA | ENGINEER | LINCOLN, VT | $1,500 |
| INCORVAIA, JOE | NOT EMPLOYED | NOT EMPLOYED | RIVERSIDE, CT | $1,150 |
| MOORE, WILLIAM | ELEANOR CROOK FOUNDATION | CEO | RALEIGH, NC | $1,000 |
| GROWALD, PAUL | SELF | PHILANTHROPIST | SHELBURNE, VT | $1,000 |
| GROWALD, EILEEN | SELF | PHILANTHROPIST | SHELBURNE, VT | $1,000 |
| SHIELD, ROBIN | NOT EMPLOYED | NOT EMPLOYED | SANIBEL, FL | $1,000 |
| M MURPHY, EDWARD | NOT EMPLOYED | NOT EMPLOYED | DOVER, MA | $1,000 |
| BOYLE, LEO | MEEHAN BOYLE BLACK & BOGDANOW | LAWYER | DOVER, MA | $1,000 |
| DRUMMY, JAMES | RETIRED | RETIRED | GLENDALE, CA | $1,000 |
| SARCONA, JOSEPH | PIONEER VALLEY UROLOGY | UROLOGIST | LONGMEADOW, MA | $1,000 |
| KIM, ANDREW | PIONEER VALLEY UROLOGY | PHYSICIAN | SPRINGFIELD, MA | $1,000 |
| GALLO, STEPHEN | PIONEER VALLEY UROLOGY | PHYSICIAN | LONGMEADOW, MA | $1,000 |
| STARKMAN, JONATHAN | PIONEER VALLEY UROLOGY | Not listed | LONGMEADOW, MA | $1,000 |
| BERKENWALD, AARON | PIONEER VALLEY UROLOGY | UROLOGIST | NORTHAMPTON, MA | $1,000 |
| GADZINSKI, ADAM | COMPREHENSIVE UROLOGY | Not listed | BIRMINGHAM, MI | $1,000 |
| YEAMANS, JEFFREY | COMPREHENSIVE UROLOGY | UROLOGIST | GROSSE POINTE PARK, MI | $1,000 |
| BURKS, FRANK | COMPREHENSIVE UROLOGY | UROLOGIST | BIRMINGHAM, MI | $1,000 |
| GILLERAN, JASON | COMPREHENSIVE UROLOGY | UROLOGIST | FRANKLIN, MI | $1,000 |
PAC and party committee contributors over $5,000, 2024
| Committee | Type | Industry | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| NATIONAL CONFECTIONERS ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (CANDY PAC) | PAC | not mapped | $5,000 |
| NATIONAL CONFECTIONERS ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (CANDY PAC) | PAC | not mapped | $5,000 |
| D.R.I.V.E. - DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN, INDEPENDENT VOTER EDUCATION (THE PAC OF THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS) | PAC | Labor Unions | $5,000 |
| LABORERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA (LIUNA) PAC | PAC | Labor Unions | $5,000 |
| AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ORTHODONTISTS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE | PAC | not mapped | $5,000 |
Gross receipts from FEC filings, not net of refunds. Industry mappings are the directory's own classification; see methodology.
PAC and party committee contributors over $5,000, 2026 (partial)
| Committee | Type | Industry | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| DELL TECHNOLOGIES, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE | PAC | Technology | $5,000 |
| NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ENROLLED AGENTS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE | PAC | not mapped | $5,000 |
| AMERICAN PROPERTY CASUALTY INSURANCE ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (INSURING AMERICA PAC) | PAC | Real Estate | $5,000 |
Gross receipts from FEC filings, not net of refunds. Industry mappings are the directory's own classification; see methodology.
Outside money
2024
Independent expenditures are reported to the FEC by the spending committee, not the member's campaign. A committee is marked single-candidate when 80% or more of its cycle independent-expenditure dollars concern one candidate. Donors are named only at $50,000 or more to a super PAC or joint fundraising committee. For leadership PACs, individuals are named at $50,000 or more; organizations and PACs at $5,000 or more. The 2026 cycle is still in progress.
Amounts are each donor's net total of itemized contributions across the cycle (primary, general, and runoff elections combined), after subtracting refunds, not single gifts. Receipts marked as received in error, returned, or refunded are excluded, and refunds to the donor are subtracted. Joint-fundraising shares are included: the member committee's itemized share of joint-fundraising proceeds (FEC transaction type 15J) counts toward the donor's total, while the joint fundraising committee's own transfers are not counted separately. Donors are named only when their net cycle total is $1,000 or more; smaller donors appear only in the aggregate count and total below each table. Where a returned receipt of $10,000 or more affects a total, it is noted below the table. Lists cover itemized individual gifts to the member's principal campaign committee only. Employer and occupation are self-reported. The 2026 cycle is still in progress.
Donor figures are net of refunds from the FEC individual-contribution bulk files (2024 and 2026 cycles, each itemization taken at its latest amended version before any exclusion), rebuilt and reconciled row by row against the previous release on 2026-10-02; see methodology for the method and the reconciliation counts.
Money and finances
Estimated net worth
at least $6,784,113 . Earliest on record (2022): at least $4,451,112. disclosure
Estimates are summed from ranges reported on financial disclosures, so they are approximate. Ranges are wide by design.
Stock trades (last 12 months)
0 trades, estimated volume No trades. Quiver
STOCK Act disclosures cover the member, spouse, and dependent children, and report amounts as ranges, so volumes are estimates. Null records mean data was not retrieved, never zero trades.
Top assets
| Asset | Type | Value | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDRXX - Fidelity Government Cash Reserves(Jersey City, NJ)Type: Money Market Account | bank deposit | $1M-$5M | Self |
| FDGRX - Fidelity Growth Company Fund Retail Class | mutual fund | $250K-$500K | Self |
| FDRXX - Fidelity Government Cash Reserves(Jersey City, NJ)Type: Money Market Account | bank deposit | $250K-$500K | Self |
| FCNTX - Fidelity Contra Fund | mutual fund | $250K-$500K | Self |
| FCVSX - Fidelity Convertible Securities Fund | mutual fund | $250K-$500K | Self |
| VGPMX - Vanguard Global Capital Cycles Fund Investor Sha | mutual fund | $250K-$500K | Self |
| XLI - SPDR Select Sector Fund - Industrial | mutual fund | $250K-$500K | Self |
| SPLG - SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF | mutual fund | $250K-$500K | Spouse |
| SNVXX - Charles Schwab Government Money Market(Westlake, TX)Type: Money Market Account | bank deposit | $250K-$500K | Self |
| VTI - Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF | mutual fund | $250K-$500K | Self |
Earmark requests (FY2026)
Total requested: $168,748,000
| Project | Recipient | Subcommittee | Requested | In House bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funding will be used to acquire land and buildings to construct a new fire station. | Town of Rockingham | Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies | $598,000 | No |
| Funding will be used to construct a childcare facility serving low to moderate income communities in rural Vermont. | Craftsbury Saplings Inc. | Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies | $3,000,000 | No |
| Funding will be used to expand the Health Care Share Program. | Vermont Youth Conservation Corps | Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies | $814,000 | No |
| Funding will be used to expand the capacity of the Miller Farm for research on sustainable livestock systems. | University of Vermont | Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies | $2,250,000 | No |
| Funding will be used to restore the Benson Village Store. | Benson Village Trust | Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies | $550,000 | No |
| Funding will be used to upgrade dispatch equipment for Washington County Fire, Police, and EMS services. | Capital Fire Mutual Aid System | Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies | $3,808,000 | No |
| Funding will be used to create a drought plan and an inundation flooding mapping platform. | American Association of State Climatologists | Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies | $375,000 | No |
| Funding will be used to expand the Vermont Department of Corrections' peer recovery pilot program for incarcerated people suffering from opioid use disorder. | Vermont Department of Corrections | Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies | $2,825,000 | No |
| Funding will be used to install streamgages and precipitation sensors in the Lamoille River basin. | Lamoille County Regional Planning Commission | Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies | $664,000 | No |
| Funding will be used to modernize and strengthen the Town of Hartford’s emergency communications infrastructure. | Town of Hartford Police Department | Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies | $774,000 | No |
| Funding will be used to support the research, design, and creation of a zero-trust architecture cybersecurity framework. | Norwich University Applied Research Institutes | Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies | $1,000,000 | No |
| Funding will be used to upgrade equipment at the Vermont Advanced Computing Center (VACC) to support the development of educational and workforce training opportunities for advanced computing for students in rural Vermont. | University of Vermont and State Agricultural College | Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies | $5,000,000 | No |
| Funding will be used to conduct a feasibility study of enhanced operational controls at the Wrightsville and East Barre Dams. | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Civil) | Energy and Water Development | $350,000 | No |
| Funding will be used to conduct a flood control study of the Winooski River Watershed. | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Civil) | Energy and Water Development | $700,000 | No |
| Funding will be used to repair the spillway and flood gate at the Waterbury Dam. | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Civil) | Energy and Water Development | $4,000,000 | No |
Requests are not necessarily funded. Amounts shown are requested, not awarded.
Influence in Congress
Legislative effectiveness
0.41 on the 118th Legislative Effectiveness Score (Senate). thelawmakers.org
Bipartisanship
Lugar Bipartisan Index: -0.71, ranked #75 Lugar Center
Ideology
DW-NOMINATE first dimension: -0.400 (liberal end of the scale), chamber rank #17 of the 119th Congress. Voteview
Interest group ratings
| Group | Rating | Scorecard year |
|---|---|---|
| NRA | Not available | 2026 |
| LCV | 97 | 2025 |
| AFL-CIO | 100 | 2025 |
| Club for Growth | 13 | 2025 |
| Planned Parenthood | 100 | 2025 |
| ACU | 3 | 2025 |
Bills enacted
0 sponsored bills enacted into law in the 119th Congress.
2026 election
District lean
Cook Partisan Voting Index (2025): D+17. Last election margin: 40.44 points (2022). Cook PVI
2026 election
Notable family
| Name | Relationship | Notable as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margaret Cheney | spouse | member of the Vermont House of Representatives |
Notable relatives found through systematic public-records searches (~2 queries per member). Absence of a listing means nothing notable was found under this methodology, not that no notable family exists.
Voting record (2026)
244 roll-call votes in 2026 · missed 1.6% · party unity 96.7
| Date | Measure | Question | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-08 | S.J.Res. 98 | On the Motion to Discharge | Yea |
| 2026-01-15 | H.R. 6938 | On Passage of the Bill | Yea |
| 2026-01-30 | H.R. 7148 | On Passage of the Bill | Yea |
| 2026-02-12 | H.J.Res. 142 | On the Joint Resolution | Nay |
| 2026-03-12 | H.R. 6644 | On Passage of the Bill | Yea |
| 2026-03-23 | PN858 | On the Nomination | Nay |
| 2026-04-16 | H.J.Res. 140 | On the Joint Resolution | Nay |
| 2026-04-23 | S.Con.Res. 33 | On the Concurrent Resolution | Nay |
| 2026-05-13 | PN855-1 | On the Nomination | Nay |
| 2026-06-04 | Motion to Waive All Applicable Budgetary Discipline Re: Graham Amdt. No. 5779 | On the Motion | Nay |
| 2026-06-05 | S. 2 | On Passage of the Bill | Nay |
| 2026-06-23 | H.Con.Res. 86 | On the Concurrent Resolution | Yea |
| 2026-07-28 | PN1092 | On the Nomination | Nay |
| 2026-08-05 | PN932 | On the Nomination | Nay |
| 2026-08-07 | H.R. 5334 | On Passage of the Bill | Nay |
| 2026-08-08 | H.R. 6500 | On Passage of the Bill | Yea |
| 2026-08-08 | PN1078 | On the Nomination | Nay |
| 2026-09-24 | H.Con.Res. 89 | On the Concurrent Resolution | Yea |
Legislation
Sponsored 84 bills and cosponsored 638 bills in the 119th Congress.
| Bill | Title | Status |
|---|---|---|
| S. 71 | Baby Changing on Board Act | Passed Senate (House next) |
| S.Res. 56 | A resolution congratulating the University of Vermont men’s soccer team on winning the 2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men’s soccer national championship. | Agreed To (Simple Resolution) |
| S.Res. 267 | A resolution honoring the deep and enduring friendship between the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States on the occasion of Danish Constitution Day celebrations. | Agreed To (Simple Resolution) |
| S.Res. 399 | A resolution congratulating the people of North Macedonia on the 34th anniversary of their independence and celebrating the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between North Macedonia and the United States. | Agreed To (Simple Resolution) |
| S.Res. 454 | A resolution expressing support for the designation of the week of October 24, 2025, to October 31, 2025, as “Bat Week”. | Agreed To (Simple Resolution) |
Latest statements
- Welch, Tillis, Kaine Lead Bipartisan Effort Urging Trump Admin to Fight for Release of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan
- Welch Reintroduces Bill to Ban Toxic Substances in Plastic Bottles, Address Plastic Pollution in our Communities
- Welch Joins Van Hollen and 15 Senate Democrats in Pushing Trump to Negotiate AI Guardrails with China
- Welch on Iran War: "It's time for us to say, end this war. End this war now."
- Welch Introduces Bill to Address Vermont's Housing Crisis by Exempting Affordable Housing Development Grants from Income Tax
Latest official press releases and statements from the member's official site. This section requires periodic refresh; always check the source site for the newest items.
Social following
| Platform | Office account | Personal account |
|---|---|---|
| X | @SenPeterWelch (count n/a) | @WelchForVT (5K) |
| @senpeterwelch (37K) | not found | |
| @PeterWelch (107K) | not found | |
| YouTube | @reppeterwelch (6K) | not found |
| not found | not found | |
| Threads | not found | not found |
| TikTok | not found | not found |
Office total: 150K · Personal total: 5K · Combined: 155K
Collected 2026-09-29. Office accounts are the member's official congressional accounts; personal accounts are their own campaign/personal accounts. Totals sum only accounts with a retrieved count and are never zero-filled. X counts are approximate (logged-out page variance). A missing account means none was verified, not that none exists.
Committee assignments
Caucus memberships
Staff
Chief of staff
Alexandra S Golden · (202) 224-4242
Communications director
Aaron Russell David White · (202) 224-4242
Staff data from House and Senate payroll filings; roles can change and filings can lag.
Offices
Washington, D.C. office
115 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-4242
District/state offices
| City | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Burlington | 199 Main Street, 4th Floor, Burlington, VT 05401 | 802-863-2525 (main line); Fax: 802-658-1007 |
Connections
| Connected to | Type | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Emanuel Cleaver | Same employer | Both worked at Southern Christian Leadership Conference (years not documented) |
| Mark DeSaulnier | Same school | College of the Holy Cross |
| James Gallagher | Same school | University of California, Berkeley |
| John Garamendi | Same school | University of California, Berkeley |
| Doris O. Matsui | Same school | University of California, Berkeley |
| Andrea Salinas | Same school | University of California, Berkeley |
| Kim Schrier | Same school | University of California, Berkeley |
| Linda T. Sánchez | Same school | University of California, Berkeley |
Connections are derived from documented public records: family ties, shared schools, shared employers, fraternities and sororities, and staff career histories. Committee ties are excluded here and shown on committee pages.