Montpelier, Vermont – Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy announced on Monday that he will retire at the end of his current term in office.

At 81, Leahy is the longest-serving member of the upper chamber. He has been in office since 1975 and remains the only Vermont Democrat ever elected to the Senate.

"It is time to pass the torch to the next Vermonter who will carry on this work for our great state. It’s time to come home," Leahy said at a press conference.

The seat is not expected to flip for Republicans, but it could set up an intra-party battle for Democrats in 2022.

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According to The Intercept, the future of the Senate seat could depend on what Bernie Sanders decides to do next.

If Sanders chooses to endorse Vermont's only congressional representative, Peter Welch, it could discourage other candidates from throwing their hat in the ring.

Welch is a personal friend of Sanders, but politically, he's also far more to the center.

Much more on Sanders' ideological wavelength is state Rep. and social worker Tanya Vyhovsky, who is reportedly also considering a Senate run.

"I don’t want to lose any capacity I have [in the state legislature] in a race that’s unwinnable," Vyhovsky told The Intercept. "That is a big piece of this – if Bernie is going to endorse Peter there’s not much point doing it."

Welch faced criticism when it came out he had backed a law that limited the Drug Enforcement Administration’s ability to go after pill mills driving the opioid epidemic. It was then revealed that the congressman, widely considered a "good guy," was trading stocks in companies involved with the bill.

"Peter is fine, I guess, but people are desperate for change, they’re desperate for broader representation and new voices and different voices," Vyhovsky said.