John Larson: A Working Class Hero for Our Time

Many thanks to Maura Fitzgerald for so succinctly making the case for Rep. John Larson’s candidacy in the August 11th Democratic primary against his main opponent, former Hartford Mayor, Luke Bronin. She is on target in pointing to Larson’s seniority as a major advantage against President Trump’s unrelenting effort to dismantle democratic governance. This is particularly the case with the so called Save America Act, aimed to prevent the “godless communists” of the “Dumocrat” party from winning congressional election in either house in 2026, thereby, upholding the MAGA vision for decades to come. It is this objective—of promising Republicans that if they passed the Act they would win elections for the next 100 years—which is the rot at the center of this legislative proposal.

 What makes Larson’s reelection so vital is his seasoned experience in providing needed oversight, particularly in his passioned commitment to protect and expand social security benefits for millions of seniors and upcoming generations in his Social Security 2100 Act, which he has championed for decades. Through his role on the Ways and Means Committee, Larson has also had a formative influence in shaping economic policy and healthcare advocacy and has been a resolute supporter for manufacturing revitalization and strengthening the economy of this district. Bronin states that he supports the same initiatives that Larson has worked so tirelessly to procure, including safeguarding social security against the Republican juggernaut, especially, if—by crook—the GOP should win the majority in the House.  Yet, it is Larson who has produced the goods, whose proven track record and congressional clout are things we can rely on in these perilous times.

 In John Larson, there is also a more intangible factor. At the core of John’s service to the country is, as Ms. Fitzgerald, so cogently noted, his working-class roots in Mayberry Village and his commitment to the town in which he was raised. In short, John Larson is a working-class hero who has remained true to his roots, from which his commitment to public service is so deeply rooted. Everything in John’s driving passion is grounded in his working class upbringing in Mayberry Village. There is substance with John as attested by his 49 engaged years in local, state, and national government, to say nothing of his four years of service as a history teacher and football coach at Penney High School in the 1970s. Throughout his career, Larson has remained true to his working-class heritage and his dedication to community, to which many of us who know him can personally attest. In Congress, these commitments have played out in his steadfast advocacy of an updated New Deal/Great Society agenda, which I have discussed in other letters. Suffice it to say that the priorities Larson has so passionately promoted have been vital to working and middle-class individuals and families as well as to the future of the United States for the next 20 years.

 That these core values are so currently threatened by Trump’s fanatical demonization and professed hatred of the Democratic Party should be evident to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. Mayor Bronin may have much to offer as a public servant, though the substance of his campaign leaves much to be desired. Notwithstanding the glossy brochures, “time for a change” and the need for “new energy” to combat Trump—as they stand—are just slogans. By contrast, John Larson brings a proven track record and a great deal of substance in meeting the challenges of our time, which, as a congressional novice, Bronin simply will not have.

 In observing him in congress and in town, I believe John Larson will rise to the occasion in meeting the challenges of the next two years, as he has throughout his career. In terms of experience, influence, in-depth knowledge, and especially character, I believe John Larson is the right person for this time to represent the CT House of Representative’s First District. In the memorable words of lyricist John Lennon, a working-class hero is something to be. In John Larson, we have a man of true grit.

 

 


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