by Karla Ciaglo CTNewsJunkie
EAST HARTFORD, CT — U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-1st, has officially launched his campaign for a 15th term in Congress. The veteran lawmaker cast his re-election as a fight against what he called Donald Trump’s “Two-Front War” on democracy and the middle class — one targeting immigrants in Connecticut neighborhoods and the other aimed squarely at Social Security.
Larson tied his campaign announcement to the August 23 ICE raids in Newington, where armed federal agents detained seven workers from a Main Street car wash without warning to local authorities.
“Trump’s not terrorizing immigrants,” Larson said, citing Newington Mayor Jon Trister. “He’s terrorizing our entire community.”
He also pointed to DOGE, which Larson described as a “billionaire-boys-club” of unvetted appointees, combing through Americans’ private Social Security data.
“They are prepping for the biggest heist in history,” Larson warned, alleging plans to privatize the program’s $2.7 trillion trust fund. “My seniority is your security. I’ve seen every angle in their playbook.”
Larson, the ranking member of the House Social Security Subcommittee, said he would chair the panel if Democrats retake the House in 2026. He promised to expand benefits, cap insulin costs at $35, ban military style weapons, deliver affordable housing, and bring union jobs back to Connecticut.
“Trump destroys. I deliver,” he said.
But Larson’s re-election announcement immediately drew criticism from two Democratic challengers.
State Rep. Jillian Gilchrest, D-West Hartford, issued a statement saying Connecticut can’t afford to wait for change.
State Rep. Jillian Gilchrest announces her candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1st District. Credit: Jamil Ragland / CTNewsJunkie
“Daily life has become unaffordable for Connecticut workers. Gun violence continues to plague our communities. Climate disasters threaten our safety and infrastructure,” Gilchrest said. “Trump is causing hardship and chaos every day, but his rise is also the result of a Congress that allowed the wealthy to take control and failed to act. We can’t keep expecting the same people to do better next time.”
Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin during a May 11, 2023 press conference on early voting funding Credit: Hugh McQuaid / CTNewsJunkie
Former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, also running a Democratic challenge, criticized Larson’s emphasis on seniority and his pledge of sweeping action in the first 100 days if Democrats regain control of the House.
“Voters don’t want empty promises,” Bronin said at a press conference. “To say that after 27 years in Congress suddenly everything will get done is not being honest about the moment we’re in. If we’re going to beat back Trump, hold the line against his attacks, and prepare to take back the White House in 2028, we need a different kind of political movement.”
Bronin called on Democrats to stop relying on institutional tenure and instead take the fight directly to voters in new ways.
“You’ve got to be willing to go on conservative radio and get yelled at. You’ve got to show up at the VFW hall. You’ve got to make the case in places where people don’t agree with you,” he said.
Other Democratic challengers include Hartford school board member Ruth Fortune and Southington City Council member Jack Perry.
Larson, who grew up in Mayberry Village public housing as one of eight children, has represented the district since 1999. He has long leaned on his record of protecting Social Security, securing billions for Connecticut infrastructure, and delivering lower prescription drug costs. He reminded voters of those accomplishments in East Hartford, saying: “When you attack one of us, you attack all of us. When we win — and we will win — clear action is required.”