My moves are not great, but they keep me warm.
(In addition to dancing through the cold, she protected her feet with Vermonts ownDarn Tough socks.)
She never imagined this for herself.
I didnt have any role models.
I didnt know anyout gay politicians.
Prior to her time in office, Balint was amiddle school teacherfor 14 years.
I didnt dress in abrightly colored pantsuit.
I rode a motorcycle.
I have a wife.
Ill drop an F-bomb from time to time.
She views this as an advantage.
You write legislation that meets the needs of more people.
On Capitol Hill, Balint who was backed by progressive stalwarts like Sens.
Below, Vermonts first woman and LGBTQ+ member of Congress shares a few other firsts.
First person you talked to today?
Two women who put me up at their apartment every time Im in the northern part of Vermont.
Theyre good friends of mine.
First person you text when something good happens?
First time you saw yourself represented in entertainment?
A movie calledPersonal Bestwith Mariel Hemingway.
Its about two track stars who end up having a lesbian affair.
They dont end up together, which [was the case] for most of my childhood.
The [characters] never ended up together.
Im so glad movies are being made now wherethey end up together.
First time you earned a paycheck?
My first job with an actual printed paycheck was at the Burger King drive-thru in my hometown.
First time you traveled outside of the United States?
I was actually born outside of the United States.
My dad was in the military.
[When] he was stationed in Germany, I was born there on an Army base.
First time voting?
First time you missed an election?
First time you got involved in politics?
When I was in high school, I was a government nerd.
First time someone told you to run for office?
When I first ran, nobody asked me to run.
When I was a state senator, I definitely had people encouraging me to run for governor and Congress.
First time you believed you could win this race?
On a local level, it was when tons of young people started to show up at our parades.
This article was originally published onDec.
