Former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin beat out Rep. John Larson (D-CT) on Tuesday evening, delivering a stunning blow to a longtime representative as Democratic voters continue to push out older lawmakers.
Bronin, 47, brought in 54% of the vote, compared to 78-year-old Larson’s 34% when the Associated Press called the race at 10 p.m. Bronin’s win comes as Democratic voters have increasingly shown a willingness to replace veteran lawmakers with younger challengers.
Larson has served in the House since 1999, where he drew attention last year after he froze on the House floor last February due to a “complex partial seizure.” Larson’s office said the seizure resulted from a preexisting heart problem. He was betting that his progressive voting record, including a push to impeach President Donald Trump, would overcome questions about his age.
The 1st District is heavily Democratic, with former Vice President Kamala Harris having carried the seat by 23 percentage points in 2024, meaning Bronin will almost certainly prevail in November.
The two others in the race still pulled a percentage of the vote, as attorney Ruth Fortune got 5% and state Rep. Jillian Gilchrest brought in 7%.
Bronin dealt a shock to the state Democratic establishment by winning the state party’s endorsement at the party convention earlier this year. At the convention, Larson brokered a deal with Gilchrest to get some of his delegates to switch support to Gilchrest, pushing her over the 15% needed to appear on the ballot, the CT Mirror reported.
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But it was not enough to play spoiler.
Larson had Sen. Chris Murphy’s (D-CT) endorsement, an early test of Murphy’s political influence that could serve as a barometer for his possible 2028 presidential hopes.