WASHINGTON — Three outside groups pushing the Democratic Party to embrace generational change have lined up behind a much younger challenger seeking to unseat Rep. John Larson, the 77-year-old Democrat from Connecticut who is seeking a 15th term in office.

In a rare entry into a primary against an incumbent, VoteVets, the liberal political action committee known for supporting veterans running for office, plans to provide substantial support to Luke Bronin, 46, a former Navy intelligence officer and the former mayor of Hartford, Connecticut, who is seeking to unseat Larson.

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Bronin has also drawn the backing of a new organization called The Bench, which is working to bolster a new generation of Democratic leaders who have real-world experience working as teachers, nurses, veterans and farmers. And New Politics, a group that backs candidates with backgrounds in military service, also is entering the race to help Bronin.

The infusion of outside support suggests that the primary, in a safe Democratic district in Connecticut, is growing more competitive and is quickly becoming a central battleground for the party’s raging debate about the need for generational change in its ranks at a crossroads moment for the country.

The endorsement by VoteVets is particularly notable because the group has not backed a primary challenger against an incumbent since throwing its support behind Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., in 2014. That year, Moulton defeated a nine-term incumbent, former Rep. John F. Tierney, running on a platform of new leadership and change.

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Max Rose, a senior adviser to the group, said the resounding victories of Democrats like Gov. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia and Gov. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey underscored how politicians with backgrounds in national security “represent a pillar of the future of the party.” He added, “Luke is a part of that story.”

Former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin talks with the media at Parkville Market in Hartford about his announcement to challenge U.S. Rep. John Larson in a Democratic primary for Connecticut’s 1st Congressional District, Wednesday, July 30, 2025. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

Bronin has already been making his case that the Democratic Party is at a crisis point that calls for generational change. He raised about $1.2 million in the first two months of his campaign, outraising Larson in that period.

Officials for the outside groups said they are hoping to widen the money gap and amplify the age argument for him.

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“We have to have a new bench to the Democratic Party, a new foundation of the party and new faces,” Rose said. “Larson has every opportunity to run and talk about his record, his service. But this is undeniably a moment where things have changed, and we think this is an opportunity to pass the baton.”

Rose would not say how much VoteVets planned to spend in the primary, but he hinted that it would be significant.

“When we get involved, we don’t do so in subtle ways,” he said. “We get in things to win.”

The Bench, the new group backing Democrats with real-world work experience, has added Bronin to its roster of more than a dozen candidates whom it is helping with general consulting, communications, finance and digital support.

Emily Cherniack, the executive director of New Politics, said her group would press the message that it was time for Larson to make way for fresh leadership.

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“John Larson has served for over 40 years, and it’s appreciated, but it’s time for a new generation,” she said. “In the private sector and the nonprofit sector, we talk about succession planning. Why don’t we do it in politics?”

She added, “We can’t waste time waiting around for someone to retire when they think they’re ready.”

U.S. Rep. John Larson meets regularly with fellow Democratic leaders. Here, he is shown with longtime Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, who is largely credited with reviving Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential campaign in 2020 with a major win in South Carolina. In addition to his Washington ties, Larson maintains his relationships in hardscrabble East Hartford. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

At a time when many of his contemporaries — like Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi — have announced their retirements, Larson’s decision to seek another term after 27 years in Congress has landed him serious challengers for the first time since 1999.

In an interview last November, Larson, who suffered a complex partial seizure on the House floor last year, said he was seeking another term so that he could see a Social Security bill he has long championed, which would expand benefits to all seniors, come to the floor for a vote.

“I’m not going to back away from the thing I worked on for a decade when we’re four seats away from taking back the House,” he said.

Larson is not alone in choosing to hang on despite calls for change. A recent analysis by NBC News found that of the 24 members of Congress who are age 80 or older, more than half are running for reelection.

Senator Richard Blumenthal endorsed Congressman John Larson for his reelection in Connecticut District 1.

Larson still has substantial support from over a dozen labor unions and the entire Connecticut congressional delegation, as well as from influential mayors and town committee chairs.

His campaign dismissed Bronin’s new slate of endorsements as indicative of support from Washington consultants and little else. It noted that Larson was spending his day Thursday visiting an ICE detention center, holding it up as evidence that he was continuing to effectively challenge President Donald Trump.

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“Another Wall Street-funded corporate lawyer trying to use this office as a steppingstone is not the kind of change this district needs,” Greg Gerratana, Larson’s campaign manager, said in a statement. “It deserves a progressive champion like John Larson, who grew up in the district, understands the challenges people face because he’s seen them firsthand and has a proven record of taking on Trump.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

https://www.courant.com/2026/01/30/groups-back-larson-challenger-calling-for-generational-change/