Bronin defeats U.S. Rep. John Larson at convention; Gilchrest qualifies for primary

Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant on May 11, 2026

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After months of behind the scenes work, former Hartford mayor Luke Bronin pulled a stunning upset Monday night by defeating longtime U.S. Rep. John B. Larson at the Congressional convention — setting up a potentially bitter primary in August.

Bronin, 46, repeatedly said during his campaign that he would bring more energy than the 77-year-old Larson and would battle every day in the fight against President Donald Trump’s Republican administration. A former U.S. Navy Reserve intelligence officer in Afghanistan, Bronin is known for an intense work ethic and for outworking his opponents in previous elections.

He delivered a brief, rousing speech to the delegates at Goodwin University in East Hartford as Larson stood silently in the front row about 40 feet away.

“We just saw a political earthquake in this convention,” Bronin said as his supporters cheered.

In a key development, state Rep. Jillian Gilchrest of West Hartford qualified for the primary with the minimum of 63 votes, representing 15% of the delegates. She was congratulated by Larson after the announcement at Goodwin University in West Hartford.

Since neither Bronin nor Larson achieved 50% on the first round, the delegates were required to vote again in a second round.

But Gilchrest then dropped out of the second round of voting — leaving only Larson and Bronin. That vote was still pending Tuesday night, but Gilchrest qualifies for the primary, under the rules, even after dropping out of the second round.

Larson’s supporters had been confident for months, saying that Larson had the experience and a long history of winning elections, including 14 consecutive elections dating back to 1998 in his first run for Congress. He had a long series of wins for state Senate before running for governor and losing in a primary in 1994. He then made a political comeback and has served in Congress alongside the top leaders through the years, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and current Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn, N.Y.

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