Former Mayor Luke Bronin wins Democratic primary in Connecticut, ousting U.S. Rep. John Larson

Former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin ousted longtime U.S. Rep. John Larson, capturing the Democratic nomination Tuesday as voters embraced a generational change by choosing a far younger replacement.

Bronin, 46, had been widely viewed as Larson’s leading challenger in the four-way race for the 1st Congressional District, buoyed by his name recognition and fundraising. He secured the Connecticut Democratic Party’s endorsement over Larson earlier this year, which further signaled his growing support over the incumbent.

“This is a political earthquake in Connecticut,” Bronin told supporters Tuesday night. “But the goal, the goal is to shake things up in Washington D.C., and we are just getting started.”

A Rhodes scholar, lawyer and U.S. Navy Reserve officer, Bronin was a sophomore at Yale when Larson, 78, was first elected to Congress in 1998.

Bronin has said the Democratic Party’s reluctance to adopt generational change, highlighted by former President Joe Biden’s aborted reelection campaign, played a major role in his decision to challenge Larson, arguing that long-tenured leadership has weakened the party at a critical moment.

For nearly 30 years, Larson largely avoided serious Democratic opposition during his time in Congress. However, concerns about his health and age began to circulate after he abruptly stopped speaking during a speech on the House floor last year.

His office has since said Larson suffered a complex partial seizure, maintaining that he was fit to seek a 15th term and was taking medication to help control the condition.

Larson largely avoided directly referencing Bronin during his concession speech Tuesday night. Instead, he told supporters that he was “disappointed” but implored Democrats to “come together, heal and move forward.”

With Democrats expected to hold the seat in November, the fight over who would become the Democratic nominee in the 1st District isn’t critical to the party’s effort to take back control of the House. However, it does reflect the growing willingness of younger Democrats to take on some of their party’s most stalwart figures in Washington.

After Biden’s drawn-out decision to ultimately step aside in 2024 at 81, which helped pave the way for Donald Trump’s second term in the White House, the Democratic Party’s veterans have increasingly been targeted as part of the problem.

Bronin told supporters Tuesday that the Democratic Party needed to embrace change, and that if it didn’t do so, “then the changes are going to come from the ground up. And that’s a message the party needs to hear.”

Larson had attempted to push back against the criticism surrounding his long time in office, saying experience is a virtue and leaning on his willingness to fight against President Donald Trump.

“I’ve called for his impeachment because of his violation for the rule of law, this president ignores the rule of law,” Larson said during a July 29 debate.

Other candidates who ran for the congressional seat were state Rep. Jillian Gilchrist, 44, and Ruth Fortune, 38, a lawyer who immigrated to the U.S. from Haiti.

Connecticut’s remaining four congressional seats are held by Democrats not facing a primary challenge. Republicans will hold a primary for the state’s 4th and 5th Congressional Districts.

Separately, the only statewide race on Tuesday was the Democratic primary for governor. Current Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont won his primary race against state Rep. Josh Elliott, 41, who was also running for reelection for his statehouse seat.

Lamont, 72, a wealthy former cable entrepreneur, has developed a reputation as a fiscal moderate, signing a major tax cut and paying down unfunded state pension liabilities. He has also supported access to abortion through safe harbor laws and greater protections for immigrants.

No Connecticut governor has served three consecutive terms in modern times.