Contact: Aly Ferguson
aly@newpolitics.org; 480-363-6465
The former Hartford mayor brings next-generation leadership to Congress after unseating a 14-term incumbent in the primary.
WASHINGTON D.C. (November 3, 2026) — New Politics endorsed candidate Luke Bronin has been elected to represent Connecticut’s 1st Congressional District. A Navy veteran who served in Afghanistan and a former two-term mayor of Hartford, Bronin won this seat after defeating 14-term Rep. John Larson in the primary in a stunning upset driven by voters’ appetite for a new generation of leadership.
Emily Cherniack, Founder and Executive Director of New Politics, released the following statement:
“When this campaign started, very few people thought Luke Bronin could get here. He proved them wrong in the primary and finished the job tonight. Luke has always run toward hard problems. He volunteered to serve in Afghanistan to fight corruption, and then he spent eight years pulling Hartford back from bankruptcy. Connecticut voters asked for a new generation of leaders who treat public office as a responsibility. Luke is that leader, and New Politics is proud to see him head to Washington.”
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.
