Bronin stuns Larson, wins Democratic nod in CT congressional race

EAST HARTFORD — A tense Democratic convention Monday night ended in an upset in Connecticut’s 1st Congressional District: Former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, not 14-term incumbent U.S. Rep. John Larson, will be the party’s endorsed candidate in a primary later this summer.

“We just saw a political earthquake in this convention,” Bronin said in a brief acceptance speech.

Bronin prevailed narrowly over Larson on the second ballot, 214 votes to 204, after an earlier count showed Larson with a narrow lead. That result sets up an Aug. 11 primary between the two candidates, along with state Rep. Jillian Gilchrest, who received just enough support at the convention to qualify.

A fourth candidate, Hartford Board of Education member Ruth Fortune, fell short of the 15% needed to automatically secure a spot in the primary, though she said she intends to gather signatures in hopes of petitioning onto the ballot.

Speaking to reporters after his acceptance speech, Bronin said Monday’s result showed his campaign has a real shot at beating Larson, 77, who has held the seat since 1999.

“It sends a powerful signal to Democrats out there that they have a real choice,” Bronin, 46, said. “What we usually see at these conventions is a coronation of the incumbent. What we saw tonight was a sea change.”

Larson stood toward the front of the room listening attentively as Bronin delivered his acceptance speech, then turned and left the room and the building. When he returned a few minutes later, he spoke passionately about the next phase of the campaign, without using Bronin’s name.

“We’re in this fight on behalf of the working people that I have served for 28 years in the United States Congress,” Larson said, contrasting his working-class background with Bronin’s upbringing in Greenwich.

Despite at one point featuring five candidates, the race has become a clash between Larson and Bronin, who have lobbed increasingly personal criticisms at each other in hopes of winning over convention delegates and primary voters. The 1st District is overwhelmingly Democratic, meaning whoever emerges from the primary is almost assured to prevail in a general election this fall.

Larson, the incumbent, boasts endorsements from most of the state’s Democratic establishment, including his congressional colleagues and numerous state and local elected officials. He also claims strong support from organized labor in Connecticut, with many unions viewing him as friendlier to their interests than Bronin is.

Bronin, meanwhile, has out-fundraised Larson for three straight quarters and recently announced endorsements from Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam and former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, a fellow military veteran and ex-mayor.

From a policy standpoint, the two leading candidates appear relatively similar. Neither is associated with the most progressive faction of Democrats, nor with the party’s centrist wing, and neither has focused much on ideological differences. Both emphasize their fierce opposition to President Donald Trump.

Instead, the race has shaped up as a referendum on youth vs. experience. Larson, who has been in Congress since 1999, says his knowledge of Washington and leadership role on the Social Security Subcommittee allow him to most effectively counter Trump. Bronin counters that Larson’s tenure has grown stale and the district needs new, younger representation.

Gilchrest, a state representative since 2019, has portrayed herself as the race’s progressive, grassroots candidate, citing legislative achievements such as paid family leave and protections for reproductive rights.

Fortune, has argued her personal story — she arrived in the U.S. as a child without legal status before, before eventually becoming an attorney and elected official — makes her particularly suited to fight Trump. Another candidate, Southington town councilor Jack Perry, suspended his campaign in December and is now running for state Senate.

The 1st Congressional District includes much of central Connecticut, including Hartford and its surrounding suburbs.

The convention Monday, held at Goodwin University in East Hartford, began with nominating speeches for each of the four candidates, as supporters pitched delegates on their preferred option. Thea Montanez, who worked closely with Bronin as Hartford’s chief operating officer during his administration, described her initial skepticism toward him and how he eventually won her over.

“For eight years I saw this white-boy Rhodes Scholar fight harder and care more about families like mine than anybody else I’d seen in politics before,” she said.

Arianna Larson, John Larson’s niece, touted her uncle’s record first as a state lawmaker and then in Congress.

“This is not a moment for performative politics or untested leadership,” she said. “This is a moment for conviction, for courage and for people who have proven they’re willing to fight and deliver when it counts.”

The first round of voting failed to yield a winner, with Larson initially drawing 46% of delegates, Bronin 43%, Gilchrest 9% and Fortune 2%. Offered a chance to switch their votes, several dozen Larson delegates switched their support to Gilchrest, allowing her to qualify for the primary ballot with exactly 15% of delegates.

Multiple sources confirmed Gilchrest benefited from an orchestrated swap: Exactly enough Manchester delegates, all of whom had voted for Larson, agreed to support Gilchrest. In exchange, Gilchrest agreed to urge her delegates to support Larson in the second ballot, which was between Larson and Bronin. That plan, if it worked, would have given Larson the win. 

“I think they were hoping for a solid swap in West Hartford,” Gilchrest said, “but West Hartford delegates were very split.”

The reason for the split, Gilchrest said: Her delegates may have leaned more toward Larson than Bronin ideologically, but many wanted a new face in the office after 28 years — a key part of her own message all along. 

“It’s progressives vs. generational change,” she said, explaining her own supporters’ preferences. 

Bronin said he didn’t know he had won the convention until the second round of votes was announced, revealing he had prevailed by 10 delegates.

“When I started this race nine months ago, my focus was on getting the 15% to run a primary, and it was unimaginable that we would be able to win a convention against a 28-year incumbent,” Bronin told reporters.

Both candidates emphasized there’s a long way to go to the primary, with plenty of time for dynamics to change.

“It’s not up to a party. It’s up to the people in this district to decide,” Larson said. “And I’m confident I’ll be happy with their decision in August.”

Dan Haar contributed to this report.