Updated at 9:50 a.m.

A top contender for Vermont’s open seat in the U.S. House has dropped out and endorsed a top opponent, shaking up the most-watched race of a bumper election year.

State Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, D-Chittenden, will no longer run for Congress and will instead seek re-election to the Vermont Senate, she announced Friday. Ram Hinsdale simultaneously lent his support to the candidacy of Pro Tempore Senate Speaker Becca Balint, D-Windham. WCAX-TV broke the news early Friday.

Ram Hinsdale and Balint battled to win support from left-leaning voters in the Democratic primary. The former’s departure will likely help the latter compete with Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray, who is seen more as a centrist.

“I’ve spent a few sleepless nights thinking about my path to victory, bringing down another woman in this race that I deeply respect and has won a broad coalition of support from Vermonters,” Ram Hinsdale told VTDigger, referring to Balint. “That’s not the person I am or what Vermont needs.”

Ram Hinsdale said his decision was also driven by the competitiveness of the main contest.

“It was what many would call a jump-ball race, a toss,” she said. “Anyone could pass. Anyone could outsmart or thwart the maneuvers. And I couldn’t live with uncertainty on election day about who would come out on top.

The candidates sought to succeed U.S. Representative Peter Welch in the House. Welch announced last November that he would run for a U.S. Senate seat that will be vacated this winter by retired U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

Vermont has never elected a woman to Congress, but the leading Democratic candidates in the race to replace Welch are all women.

Appearing alongside Ram Hinsdale in a joint interview with WCAX, Balint said that she and Ram Hinsdale “are both people who are really problem-focused, policy-focused and we want to make sure Vermonters understand that all the things that Kesha has been fighting for – those are the same things that I’m going to fight for.

Although Gray has expressed support for the Green New Deal and Medicare for All, Ram Hinsdale told VTDigger such policies “are not just progressive talking points.”

“These are beacons for a direction our policy must take to refocus those most affected in one of the most difficult times in history,” she said. Referring to Gray, she added, “It’s become clear that there are a lot of interests in Washington trying to promote a candidate who in some ways rejects the power of the two bold progressive changes.”

And between Gray and Balint, Ram Hinsdale said, Balint “is now the proven one in the race,” given her years in the Legislative Assembly.

“His leadership was tested, his integrity was tested and his political positions were tested,” said Ram Hinsdale. “There’s a reputation there for doing what’s hard because it’s right. And, essentially, there’s a balance sheet there.

Ram Hinsdale is choosing to stay at home in Vermont at a time when the Vermont state government is expected to experience historic revenue levels. Eleven of the state’s 30 senators had planned to retire or run for higher office, though Ram Hinsdale’s decision reduces that number to 10.

She is also the only woman of color currently serving in the state Senate. As she and other members tried to recruit various candidates for the Legislative Assembly, she said, it became clear that “this is a time when many people do not have the privilege of add a public service to their plate”.

News of Ram Hinsdale’s decision comes the morning after the deadline for Vermont candidates to file petitions with the secretary of state’s office to be on the ballot.

He leaves the Democratic primary ballot Balint, Gray, former Congressman Sianay Chase Clifford and doctor Louis Meyers. Republicans Ericka Redic, Anya Tynio and Liam Madden, and progressive Barbara Nolfi have also requested to be on the ballot, though the secretary of state’s office has yet to certify all of their petitions.

There have been few public polls conducted in the race, and a recent survey found it was still closely tied between Balint, Gray and Ram Hinsdale – although Balint was slightly ahead.

And while Ram Hinsdale technically brought in the biggest fundraiser last quarter, she also burned through that money at a very high rate and only had about half the cash on hand than Balint and Gray at 31 march.

Ram Hinsdale first entered politics at age 22, when she won a seat in the Vermont House and became the state’s youngest lawmaker at the time. She left the chamber in 2016 to run for lieutenant governor, but lost to David Zuckerman in the Democratic primary. In 2020, she became the first woman of color ever elected to the state senate.

Ram Hinsdale entered the congressional race in January and campaigned on a platform focused on climate change action, racial justice and labor rights. Its backers included 350.org founder Bill McKibben, Vermont AFL-CIO and US House Progressive Caucus chair, US Representative Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.

In a written statement Friday, Gray praised Ram Hinsdale.

“Since Sen. Ram Hinsdale was a student at UVM, she has been a bold and passionate voice in our state’s politics,” Gray said in the statement. “I witnessed his advocacy and leadership firsthand in the Vermont Senate and during the campaign trail. Senator Ram Hinsdale will be missed in this historic race, but I know his work for Vermont and our work together is far from done.

Natalie Silver, Balint’s campaign manager, told VTDigger Friday morning that their campaign “already feels very confident about our path to winning,” citing its fundraising success and roster of support. But Silver called Ram Hinsdale’s move a game changer.

“We felt like we were in a strong position, but as you know, math is math,” Silver said. “Having more candidates in the race is more difficult. And so, getting Kesha to step aside and then endorse our campaign is – I can’t overstate it – an extremely important and valuable boost to our campaign.

Friday’s development also heightens the competition between Balint and Gray, with the latter having gained institutional support from DC insiders, including Leahy allies.

“By speaking for us, Becca sent the message that we can do politics in a different way,” Silver said. “We can bring new voices to the table. We can elect people who are not political dynasties in this state. We can elect public school teachers, people of color, who are not wealthy. And I think that will definitely unite Democrats in this race.

This story will be updated.