Contact: Aly Ferguson
aly@newpolitics.org; 480-363-6465
The former Hartford Mayor and Navy Intelligence Officer becomes the first challenger in Connecticut history to defeat a sitting member of Congress in a primary, delivering the generational change New Politics has called for
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 11, 2026) — New Politics endorsed candidate Luke Bronin has defeated Rep. John Larson in the Democratic primary for Connecticut's First Congressional District. Bronin, the former two-term mayor of Hartford, prevailed in a crowded field to claim the nomination and is now poised to represent the district in Washington. New Politics has backed Bronin's campaign since he entered the race, calling for the kind of generational change that Tuesday's result delivered.
Emily Cherniack, Founder and Executive Director of New Politics, released the following statement:
“Luke Bronin's win tonight is proof that voters are ready for new leadership rooted in service, not seniority. Luke brought the same urgency to this campaign that he showed as a Navy intelligence officer fighting corruption in Afghanistan and as Hartford's mayor pulling a city back from bankruptcy. Connecticut voters took note and are ready to send Luke to Washington. New Politics is proud to stand with him in this campaign.”
New Politics is an organization that revitalizes American democracy by recruiting, developing, and electing leaders across the ideological and political spectrum who have committed their lives to serving their communities and our country, either through military service, national service organizations like AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps, or by demonstrating strong service-based leadership in their community. New Politics’ support includes strategic advising and training in all aspects of a candidate’s campaign, such as fundraising, communications, organizing, hiring, and team building. New Politics has raised over $40 million to support over 475 candidates, successfully electing more than 200 of them to office, from Congress to School Board. Learn more at newpolitics.org.
