EAST HARTFORD (WTIC News) -- He was already facing the most serious challenge to his incumbency in 28 years in Congress. Monday night, the seat got much warmer for Rep. John Larson (D-CT1).
Well-financed former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin won the Democratic endorsement for Larson’s longtime First District seat in the U.S. House, taking a head-to-head vote by delegates, 214-204.
“We just saw a political earthquake in this convention hall,” said Bronin told the room of more than 400 delegates.
Bronin and Larson will face off in an August 11th primary that will also include state Rep. Jillian Gilchrest, who took the required 15% of an earlier four-way vote.
Attorney and Hartford Board of Ed member Ruth Fortune was eliminated in that first round of voting.
Bronin, 46, has been calling for generational change in Congress, saying he agrees with many of Larson’s policy positions but hopes to bring new energy to the seat.
“When I started this race,” said Bronin, “my focus was on getting the 15% to run a primary. It was unimaginable that we would be able to win a convention against a 28-year incumbent.”
“What you saw tonight was how strong the hunger for change is out there. And, I think this sends a powerful, powerful message.”
The race between the front-runners is sure to largely focus on which candidate is best-positioned to challenge President Trump.
“Every Democrat in this room believes that we need to stop the damage that Donald Trump is doing to our country every single day,” said Bronin. “And we need to rebuild the guardrails to stop the brazen corruption and self-enrichment that he’s taken to unimaginable heights.”
Larson says he’s already been doing the job of taking on the Trump Administration.
“We have an agenda that’s yet to be filled, and my fight is going on now,” said Larson. “It doesn’t wait ‘til November. We’re taking on Trump every single day. I’m proud that I’m on his ‘hit list’ of people he wants to take out of Congress. That’s not gonna happen.”
Larson plans to continue to run on his working class background, while portraying Bronin as a Wall Street-backed candidate.
“Now I think it’s going to very clear,” said Larson. “It’s Mayberry (the East Hartford housing project where Larson grew up) against Greenwich. We’re in this fight on behalf of the working people that I have served for 28 years in the United States Congress.”
