Hartford, Connecticut: Luke Bronin Elected to Congress in First District, Succeeds John Larson

Hartford voters have a new voice in Washington. Luke Bronin, the former two term mayor of Hartford, won Connecticut's 1st Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating Republican Amy Chai in a race the Associated Press called for the Democrats.

In the AP count early Wednesday, Bronin had 147,041 votes to 75,116 for Chai, with 122 of 142 precincts reporting. The Connecticut Business and Industry Association, which tracks the unofficial state tally, put the split at 65 percent to 33 percent. Green Party nominee Mary Sanders was also on the ballot.

Bronin spoke to supporters on Tuesday night at Dunkin' Park, the minor league ballpark in downtown Hartford where Connecticut Democrats held their election night party. Gov. Ned Lamont and Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz joined him, along with U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who was not on this year's ballot. Bronin opened by thanking Rep. John Larson for his service and by sending good wishes to U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, who suffered a stroke over the weekend and was absent.

"Donald Trump's entire presidency has been a con, and today, we can say the American people have stopped falling for it," Bronin told the crowd.

A primary win that ended a long run

The general election was the second half of a change Hartford voters started in August. Bronin beat Larson in the Democratic primary on August 11, taking about 54 percent of the vote to 33 percent for the incumbent. Larson had represented the Hartford based district since 1999 and faced few serious challenges in that time. Beating him in the primary made Bronin the heavy favorite in one of the most Democratic districts in New England.

Bronin, 47, served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and was deployed to Afghanistan. He was elected mayor of Hartford in 2015 and served two terms, from 2016 to 2024, a stretch that covered the city's fiscal crisis and its work to stabilize city finances.

An all Democratic delegation again

Connecticut's House delegation will stay all Democratic next year. By midnight, the AP had called all five of the state's House races for Democrats. Four incumbents held their seats alongside Bronin's open seat win. Rep. Rosa DeLauro declared victory in the 3rd District and will serve a 19th term. Rep. Jahana Hayes won a fifth term in the 5th District after her opponent, Chris Shea, conceded on Tuesday night. Reps. Joe Courtney and Jim Himes also won new terms.

Republicans have not held a U.S. House seat from Connecticut since 2009. Their candidates said after the election that the national party gave them little support in the state.

Results remain unofficial until towns finish reporting and the secretary of the state certifies the count. Bronin's margin leaves the outcome in the 1st District in no doubt.