Balint Secures Third Term with 30-Point Lead

U.S. Rep. Becca Balint won reelection to a third term in Congress on Tuesday night. The Associated Press called the race at 7:41 p.m. after counting 28% of the votes. At that point, Balint led Republican challenger Gerald Malloy by more than 30 percentage points.

Balint had held large leads in polling during the weeks before Election Day. Her margin of victory aligns with the results from her previous two campaigns against Republican opponents.

Speaking at a Vermont Democrats watch party in Burlington, Balint thanked her constituents for returning her to Washington. She said she would continue to hold powerful people accountable and work toward economic equality. She added that her goal is to help young people in Vermont and across the country regain their faith in democracy.

Affordability was the central issue of this election cycle. During a Vermont Public debate, Balint cited the war in Iran as a cause for higher gas prices. She also criticized President Donald Trump’s tariffs, stating that they are hurting small businesses.

Malloy, an Army veteran and defense contractor, ran as a conservative Republican. He sought to differentiate himself from Trump by criticizing the war in Iran and advocating for a less aggressive approach to immigration enforcement. He said the government should not track down every undocumented person, including hotel maids and farmworkers. He promised to recruit businesses to Vermont to create career opportunities if elected.

Four independent candidates also appeared on the ballot. Phoenix Altair, Adam Ortiz, Suzanne Seymour, and Ryan Walton each received approximately 1% of the vote, according to unofficial results.

Balint’s victory marks the end of a competitive campaign that focused on economic concerns and federal policy. The race was decided by a wide margin early in the night.