Candidates: First Congressional District
The 1st congressional district represents constituents in Hartford and the surrounding suburbs, and parts of Litchfield and Middlesex Counties. For the past 2½ decades, Democratic Congressman John Larson held the seat. In the August primary, Larson faced three challengers and was defeated by Democrat Luke Bronin, who now faces Republican Dr. Amy Chai in the Nov. 3 General Election.
CANDIDATE: Luke Bronin
OFFICE: Congressman
AGE AND PARTY: 47, Democratic
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Eight years as Mayor of Hartford
According to his campaign, Bronin spent eight years as Mayor of Hartford, working to bring the city back from the brink of bankruptcy. As a Navy intelligence officer during the Obama presidency, Bronin served as a senior official in the Treasury Department and was part of the team that created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes.
A Rhodes Scholar, Bronin studied for two years at the University of Oxford in England before returning to Yale Law School. He also worked as General Counsel for the Office of Governor Dannel Patrick Malloy prior to taking the office of Mayor. Later, he returned to Yale Law as a lecturer and Tsai Leadership Senior Distinguished Fellow in Residence.
Bronin is focused on defeating President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. He stated on his website that "we must end the cruelty and lawlessness of the Trump Administration immediately." He plans to abolish ICE, fix the immigration system, and make life easier and more affordable.
Bronin's platform also encompasses standing up for the vulnerable by pushing for affordable childcare and eldercare and making healthcare available to all through a universal system. "I'll fight for common-sense gun laws like universal background checks, an assault weapons ban, safe storage laws, and red-flag laws," he stated, adding that he will also push for serious consequences for gun dealers who break the law.
CANDIDATE: Amy Chai
OFFICE: Congresswoman
AGE AND PARTY: 63, Republican
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Seeking first elective office
Unlike her opponent, Amy Chai came from extreme poverty and put herself through medical school. On her campaign website, Chai stated she is an expert in Primary Care and Addiction Medicine, which puts her in a unique position to help heal the mental health of the country. "The mental health of America requires unity, not division," she stated. "It's time for a candidate dedicated to honesty, integrity, and genuine respect - even when we disagree."
Chai studied at Indiana University School of Medicine, University of Michigan Medical Center, and University of Virginia Health Sciences Center. She is double board certified in internal medicine and addiction medicine. Chai, who is married to a Taiwanese immigrant, stated she has a "deep commitment to caregivers and veterans" after working through end-of-life care. She was caregiver for two sets of parents, including her father, who was a Korean War veteran.
She plans to focus on preventing the mental illness that she sees as one of the root causes of poverty. "We hit poverty with the one-two punch of preventing mental illness and returning to evidence-based education with no agenda other than success," she stated. "Poverty will dwindle as youth have purpose, opportunity, and healthy minds."
Chai also plans to focus on helping the middle class through changes to the tax code. "Our tax system discourages work. It increases tax on earned income the harder you work. This hurts average Americans who struggle to stay out of poverty while paying their lifeblood on unreasonable government spends."
She stated she believes that the national debt is unsustainable and plans to continue supporting the Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE. "I'm in favor of the most radical transparency in the history of the US," she stated. "I would support a dedicated portal with absolutely every dime of taxpayer money accounted for."
