Connecticut congressional race turns to battle of endorsements. See who is backing whom

With less than six months remaining until a crucial party convention, candidates in the 1st Congressional District are scrambling to collect the endorsements of key Democratic insiders in order to show the momentum of their campaigns.

The competitive, five-way race includes four challengers against longtime incumbent U.S. Rep. John B. Larson of East Hartford, who is facing potentially his toughest race in his long Congressional career.

Larson is unveiling a list of endorsements this week that includes the state’s entire Congressional delegation that serves with him in Washington, D.C., including U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro of New Haven, Jim Himes of Greenwich, Joe Courtney of Vernon, and Jahana Hayes of Wolcott. The state’s two U.S. senators, Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, have already publicly endorsed Larson.

The list also includes East Hartford Mayor Connor Martin, Manchester Mayor Jay Moran, House Majority Leader Jason Rojas of East Hartford, Sen. MD Rahman of Manchester, and Democratic town chairmen from Manchester and Middletown.

Larson’s “leadership position on the powerful Ways and Means Committee is critically important to Connecticut’s middle class and working families struggling with the high cost of living,” Courtney said Tuesday. “Whether it’s cutting the cost of prescription drugs, extending ACA premium tax credits, or strengthening Social Security, the foundation of retirement security, John will be positioned to make sure a new Democratic majority makes the right choices in the next Congress. Without exaggeration, I can attest that he is a highly respected voice that colleagues look to for a reform agenda, which needs to be ready to occur as soon as control of Congress changes in January 2027.”

Larson’s chief challenger, former Hartford mayor Luke Bronin, has secured key endorsements from four local party chairs — critical insiders in the battle for momentum in the attempt to unseat a 14-term incumbent.

The Democratic chairs in Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor, and Berlin have jumped onto Bronin’s side in the race that also includes state Rep. Jillian Gilchrest of West Hartford, town councilor and refuse hauler Jack Perry of Southington, and Hartford attorney Ruth R. Fortune.

The endorsements were made by key political players who have been involved in various campaigns and get-out-the-vote efforts at the local level as they lead the Democrats in their towns.

“Their endorsements reflect the same sentiment that I’ve been hearing from so many active Democrats around the district – that while we respect John Larson, it’s time for new leadership in the Democratic Party,” Bronin said. “I’m running both to stop the corruption and damage we’re seeing from Donald Trump and to build a Democratic party that’s willing to fight for bigger changes on everything from tax fairness to health care, housing, and climate. This isn’t the time for staying the course and doing the same thing we’ve always done. It’s the time for making bigger changes, and Democrats know it and feel it.”

Rocky Hill Democratic chair Tejal Vallam said that Bronin forged bonds with nearby Rocky Hill when he served for eight years as Hartford’s mayor from January 2016 to January 2024.

“I have enormous respect for Congressman Larson and am grateful for his decades of dedicated service and steady leadership,” Vallam said in a statement released by Bronin’s campaign. “The Democratic Party is facing a pivotal moment. To meet this moment — and to ensure we do not lose ground — we need new voices who bring a bold vision for the future. Luke is exactly that kind of leader. He helped move communities like Rocky Hill toward Democratic victories this year, and I believe he can help us build the momentum we need to win again at the national level.”

In Wethersfield, chairwoman Martha Conneely said, “Folks we talk to are not only sick and tired of Donald Trump — they also want a Democratic Party with a clear vision, and leaders who show up to fight for us on all of the big issues we’re facing today. That’s why our Democratic team has been so successful in Wethersfield, and it’s why Luke’s campaign has resonated so strongly, too. He understands what this moment requires and is ready to deliver. I have deep respect for Congressman Larson’s decades of service. This moment calls for a new approach to leadership.”

Windsor chairman Adam Gutcheon and Berlin acting chairwoman Julie Erickson had similar views as multiple veteran Democrats across the nation are facing party primaries by younger challengers.

“I have tremendous respect for Congressman Larson and everything he has done for our district, but this is the right time to pass the torch to a new generation, just like Speaker Pelosi and so many other Democrats are doing,” Erickson said.

Caught off guard when Bronin told him he was considering running for his seat, Larson said he thought that Bronin was kidding. The two Democrats had been strong allies as Bronin contributed money to Larson’s congressional campaign in March of this year and had previously nominated him at the 2022 convention for Congress.

At 77, Larson is now reenergized and has been attending numerous events across the sprawling district that stretches in some spots to the Massachusetts border.

When asked by The Courant about his fiery campaign announcement, Larson replied, “Well, we always try to be energized, but there’s nothing like a little competition to get your Irish going.”

The issue of age has come up in the campaign at a time when many Democrats remain concerned that President Joe Biden stayed in the race too long at the age of 81 and helped contribute to Vice President Kamala Harris’s loss to Republican Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race.

Bronin, 46, is challenging Larson, who turned 77 on July 22. Gilchrest is 43, while Fortune is 37, and Perry is 35.

Larson has received support from Democrats ranging from recognizable national figures to longtime friends in his hometown of East Hartford. At his official announcement at a Pratt and Whitney union hall, he was supported by U.S. Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, a longtime friend of Larson. Clyburn is also widely credited with helping turn around Biden’s career in the 2020 presidential race by winning the all-important South Carolina primary after mediocre showings in previous contests.

Clyburn sat in a section of longtime Democrats that included former state treasurer Joe Suggs of Bloomfield and former Lt. Gov. Kevin B. Sullivan, who served in the state Senate with Larson in the late 1980s through January 1995.

Gilchrest was dismissive of Bronin’s endorsements.

“Is this really a surprise?” Gilchrest asked. “Luke’s been running for higher office for most of the last decade, raising money and spreading it around to insiders to line up support for when the moment came. For someone who keeps talking about the need for change, he’s offering the same old politics, just in a younger package.”

Gilchrest added, “While he is rolling out announcements about money and insider endorsements, I’m putting forward ideas — and earning support from people who know what I stand for: Indivisible CT, my legislative colleagues, everyday voters, even my former interns. Money and endorsement roll calls are not a substitute for ideas. If this election is decided by the same old money-driven habits that have controlled Congress for decades, nothing will ever change.”

Fortune, who has maintained a low profile in the race, said she is encouraged that the potential primary in August 2026 will be competitive.

“What I’m urging is simple: let’s make history by opening the doors, not closing ranks,” Fortune said Tuesday. “Let’s allow Democratic candidates to earn the vote of Connecticut Democrats instead of cherry-picking a favorite before the voters have had their say.”

Both Larson and Bronin had raised more than $1 million each as of the end of the filing period on September 30, while Gilchrest had raised only $54,000. While Connecticut races have shown that the candidate with the most money does not always win, money is still among the key factors that show the strength of a candidate’s support.

The maximum contribution for congressional candidates is $3,500 for the primary and another $3,500 for the general election. A supporter can contribute $7,000 now, but the remaining $3,500 could not be spent if the candidate does not reach the general election in November 2026, officials said.

The candidates are battling in the 27-town district, which includes Hartford, West Hartford, East Hartford, Bristol, and Southington before stretching to the Massachusetts border.

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