Peter Welch
DemocratU.S. Senator, VT| Age | 79 (b. 1947-05-02) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2007-01-04 (~19 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Education | BA in History from College of the Holy Cross (1969, magna cum laude); JD from University of California, Berkeley School of Law (1973) |
| Prior occupation | Attorney; public defender (Windsor and Orange Counties, Vermont); founding partner at Welch, Graham & Manby law firm |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Springfield, Massachusetts |
| Marital status | Married — Margaret Cheney |
| Children | 8 |
| Residence | Norwich, Vermont |
| Notable relatives | Wife Margaret Cheney is a former Vermont House of Representatives member and Vermont Public Utility Commission member |
Pending research: languages · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 1980 |
| Previous offices | Vermont State Senate (1981-1989; 2001-2007) · Minority Leader, Vermont Senate (1983-1985) · President Pro Tempore, Vermont Senate (1985-1989; 2003-2007) · U.S. House of Representatives, Vermont at-large district (2007-2023) |
| Committees | Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry · Committee on the Judiciary · Committee on Rules and Administration · Committee on Finance |
| Caucuses | Senate Democratic Caucus · Congressional Progressive Caucus (during House tenure) · Congressional Dairy Farmers Caucus · Climate Solutions Caucus · Medicare for All Caucus |
| Leadership | Ranking Member, Rural Development, Energy, and Credit Subcommittee (Senate Agriculture) · Ranking Member, Constitution Subcommittee (Senate Judiciary) |
| Ideology | Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus during his House tenure; described as a progressive Democrat who also pursues bipartisan compromises |
| Signature legislation | Kids Off Social Media Act (co-sponsor, 2025) · TRANQ Research Act (Testing, Rapid Analysis, and Narcotic Quality) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $4,879,108–$13,627,998 (2023) · estimate
| Fidelity Government Cash Reserves (FDRXX) | fund · $500,001–$1,000,000 · 2023 |
| SPDR Select Sector Fund - Industrial | fund · $250,001–$500,000 · 2023 |
| Charles Schwab Government Money Market (SNVXX) | fund · $250,001–$500,000 · 2023 |
| Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF | fund · $250,001–$500,000 · 2023 |
| Fidelity Growth Company Fund Retail Class | fund · $100,001–$250,000 · 2023 |
Top industries: Health professionals / medical (e.g., American Medical Association, American Dental Association) · Real estate (e.g., National Association of Realtors, Real Estate Roundtable) · Retail / grocers (e.g., Retail Industry Leaders Association, Food Marketing Institute) · Agriculture / dairy
Scandals & crimes ledger
No recorded incidents. Under the adjudicated-only methodology, an entry appears only when a court or official body has formally acted and the record is cited.