U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-1st District, won’t seek a third-party run in the November general election after his loss in the Democratic primary, formally marking the end of his 28-year congressional tenure that winds down early next year.
Larson conceded his loss to former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin in the August four-way primary a couple of hours after the polls closed. He wouldn’t give a firm answer that night about whether he was calling it a career.
But Larson’s spokesperson Charles Perosino confirmed Monday that he won’t pursue another path to get on the Nov. 3 ballot. The deadline for minor parties in Connecticut to select their candidates and submit for certification to get on the general election ballot was Sept. 2.
In a statement provided to the Connecticut Mirror, Larson said the party must unify to take on President Donald Trump.
“As the president prosecutes an illegal war in Iran and costs continue to rise for working families, now is the time for Democrats to come together to hold Donald Trump accountable and deliver for the American people,” Larson said in a statement.
Larson had offered a similar characterization of his time left in Congress to the dozens of supporters who attended his election night party in the summer. On the night of the August primary, he indicated in his speech that he’s focusing the remaining months of his term on battling the president.
“The people of this district have spoken, and it’s time for us to come together and make sure that we all join forces,” Larson said that night. “Because the issue here, as I said throughout this campaign, is Donald Trump and what he’s doing to this country.”
“There’s still a lot of fight left and a lot to be done,” Larson added. “And I intend to fulfill my responsibility until the last day.”
When asked by reporters at the time whether he would seek the Working Families Party line or mount an independent bid in the fall, he quickly brushed aside those questions by saying, “take the night off, relax, take a deep breath.”
Larson’s decision not to run was first reported by CT Insider.
Larson was seeking a 15th term in the Hartford-based seat in an election cycle that’s been dominated by calls for generational change within the Democratic Party and some backlash to incumbency and the political establishment.
He faced Bronin, state Rep. Jillian Gilchrest and Hartford Board of Education member Ruth Fortune in the Aug. 11 primary. It was the first primary Larson as a sitting member of Congress faced since he was first elected in 1998.
Bronin was able to break out of the crowded field of candidates because of his name recognition and his ability to raise money. Bronin and Larson frequently tangled over the sources of their fundraising, which played out on the campaign trail and in advertisements.
Following the primary and the month-long August recess, Larson returned to Washington, D.C., for a couple of weeks before Congress was to leave again for the election.
But the U.S. House wrapped up its work much earlier than expected and left town in the middle of last week. Lawmakers will have seven weeks back in their home districts, primarily meant for campaigning ahead of a pivotal election that will determine control of Congress.
Larson and the rest of the lawmakers now won’t return to D.C. until after the election. They’ll have several more weeks in the lame-duck session to finish up any remaining work before the holidays. Members try to pass last-minute priorities, but the final weeks of session are typically dominated by government funding bills and an annual defense policy bill that is crucial for Connecticut’s defense industry.
Larson’s signature issue of Social Security was a centerpiece of his reelection campaign. He had said he could be chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security if Democrats regain the House majority. The issue recently gained some steamed in Congress as a reports estimate the trust fund for retirees could dry up by the early 2030s. Larson recently applauded the attention to the issue by others in Congress and continued to push for passage of his own bill to strengthen Social Security, even as he gets ready to depart.
Larson’s 14th term will finish up early next year. The new session of Congress will begin Jan. 3, 2027, when new members are sworn in.
Bronin will square off against Republican nominee Amy Chai on Nov. 3.
Bronin served as the mayor of Hartford for two terms, leaving office in 2024. He joined a crowded field in the summer of 2025 to take on Larson in the primary. He led the pack in fundraising and had also clinched the party’s endorsement in an upset at the nominating convention this spring.
“This is a political earthquake in Connecticut,” Bronin said following his primary victory in August, while also thanking Larson for a “lifetime of service.” “The goal is to shake things up in Washington D.C., and we’re just getting started.”
Chai has sought elected office before, running as an independent against U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District, in 2022. She was previously an independent but “realized she couldn’t win” unless she was affiliated with a major party.
“My motto is listen more, hate less,” Chai said as she stood at the polls on the August primary day. If elected, Chai, who’s a doctor, wants to focus on the prevention of mental illness and addiction. She believes politics is making mental health disorders worse.
But Bronin is considered the heavy favorite in the general election. Of the five U.S. House seats in Connecticut, the 1st Congressional District is the bluest.
The Connecticut Mirror/Connecticut Public Radio federal policy reporter position is made possible, in part, by funding from the Robert and Margaret Patricelli Family Foundation.
This story was originally published by the Connecticut Mirror.
