Three outside groups pushing the Democratic Party to embrace generational change have lined up behind a much younger challenger seeking to unseat Representative 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, Conn., who is seeking to unseat Mr. Larson.
Mr. 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 Mr. 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 Representative Seth Moulton, Democrat of Massachusetts, in 2014. That year, Mr. Moulton defeated a nine-term incumbent, former Representative John F. Tierney, running on a platform of new leadership and change.
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.”
Mr. 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, out-raising Mr. 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.
“We have to have a new bench to the Democratic Party, a new foundation of the party and new faces,” Mr. 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.”
Trump Administration: Live Updates
Updated
- Trump says he shut his eyes at the last cabinet meeting because it was ‘boring.’
- Democrats block spending package as D.H.S. talks continue.
- Another top Kennedy Center official resigns.
Mr. 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 Mr. 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 Mr. Larson to make way for fresh leadership.
“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.”
At a time when many of his contemporaries — like Representative Steny Hoyer, Democrat of Maryland, and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi — have announced their retirements, Mr. 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, Mr. 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.
Mr. 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 80 or older, more than half are running for re-election.
Mr. 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 Mr. Bronin’s new slate of endorsements as indicative of support from Washington consultants and little else. It noted that Mr. Larson was spending his day on Thursday visiting an ICE detention center, holding it up as evidence that he was continuing to effectively challenge President Trump.
“Another Wall Street-funded corporate lawyer tying to use this office as a steppingstone is not the kind of change this district needs,” Greg Gerratana, Mr. 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.”
Annie Karni is a congressional correspondent for The Times.
The post Groups Back Larson Challenger, Calling for Generational Change appeared first on New York Times.
