John Larson

John Larson was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1948. He earned his bachelor's degree in history from the University of Connecticut. His work experience includes working as a teacher and as a businessman.[1][2] His previous political experience includes serving on the East Hartford Board of Education and East Hartford Town Council, and in the Connecticut Senate where he served as president pro tempore from 1987 to 1995.[1]

John Larson did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

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Campaign websiteLarson's campaign website stated the following:COVID-19John has long been a leader in times of crisis. As then Chairman of the Democratic Caucus, he worked closely with President Obama during the financial crisis to help Connecticut residents get back on their feet. Their efforts led us to one of the strongest economic comebacks in history. When the Covid pandemic hit, John once again stepped up and delivered real results. He led the way in getting Americans relief, helping craft one of the most consequential and important bills of our generation: The American Rescue Plan.The American Rescue Plan put money in people’s pockets, vaccines in arms, kids back to school, and Americans back to work! It put us on a path to recovery during one of the darkest times of the COVID-19 pandemic.One of the key components of the Rescue Plan was a massive federal investment in our schools and towns. The 1st Congressional District received $200+ million for our schools and more than half a billion in total funding to ensure our children and our communities have the resources needed to build back better.John and the entire CT delegation fought tirelessly for this funding. They spoke to towns across Connecticut, who told them that urgent relief efforts would be slowed and complicated if funding did not go directly to towns and schools. “We decided that we would have some of the [American Rescue Plan funding] go to the state and some of it go to the cities and municipalities and counties directly….John Larson was instrumental in making sure that happened…” – House Speaker Nancy PelosiIn addition to his leadership in securing town and school funding, John also spearheaded numerous other Rescue Plan provisions involving tax relief, affordable health care, and unemployment assistance. He is especially proud to have fought for the Child Tax Credit, championed by CT’s own Rosa DeLauro, which benefits over 115,000 families in the First Congressional District and has lifted more than 8,000 First District children out of poverty.John’s effective leadership during crises all comes back to listening to his constituents. Since the very start of the pandemic, he has worked closely with community leaders and constituents, holding dozens of tele-town halls and virtual forums to hear from them directly. He has also partnered with the North End of Hartford’s Three Church Partnership, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and various local businesses to support those hit hardest by Covid-19 – including our health care workers. As we continue to build back better, John will continue to listen and lead for the 1st District.EconomyJohn grew up in a blue-collar family, in a blue-collar neighborhood. He learned from an early age the challenges of paying bills and putting food on the table, and he’s never forgotten how difficult these experiences were for his family. John is on a mission to build an economy that works for families like his own growing up, not just the top 1%. To him, that work starts by supporting our working families, strengthening our unions, and increasing economic opportunity.Supporting Our FamiliesJohn has always put families first. As CT Senate Pro Tem, he authored the nation’s first family and medical leave bill and sponsored an agenda focused specifically on helping Connecticut’s families. During his time in Congress, John has continued to get real results for our working families. John recently helped pass the Child Tax Credit, one of the biggest investments in working families in American history. Introduced by CT’s own Rosa DeLauro, this tax cut benefits over 350,000 Connecticut families, over 115,000 families in the First Congressional District, and will help lift more than 8,000 children in the First District out of poverty.Now, John is working closely with Speaker Pelosi and President Biden to build on this historic achievement with investments in affordable child care, universal pre-K, and paid family leave.These initiatives are essential to strengthening our workforce and ensuring no one has to choose between their jobs and their family. Most importantly, they are essential to our kids, who will receive critical early education and spend more of their formative moments with their parents.Strengthening Our UnionsFighting for workers and organized labor is personal to John. At a young age, his godfather, John Shaughnessy Jr., then President of Connecticut Telephone Workers’ Union, instilled in him a powerful understanding of their importance. John has worked hand in hand with unions ever since, achieving landmark victories for workers. Just this past year, he helped save union pension plans from financial collapse, winning the years long battle to pass the Butch Lewis Act as part of the American Rescue Plan. Workers across the country will retire with the benefits they spent their lives earning because of this critical achievement. He also teamed up with labor groups and advocates to reverse harmful COVID relief restrictions and give unions access to critical funding as part of the American Rescue Plan. The Covid pandemic has underscored and emphasized the importance of unions. It has also lit a fire under union membership, with thousands of workers striking for better pay and conditions right now. Workers are calling for change, and John is right there with them in Congress. He won’t rest until Congress has passed the PRO Act and protected the right to organize for generations to come. Increasing Economic Opportunity Every American should have access to the opportunities and the education needed to realize the American dream. Throughout his time in Congress, John has worked to expand economic opportunity and level the economic playing field.In Hartford, his efforts have centered around getting results for the city’s North End. Decades of isolation and discrimination, a lack of investment, and various other factors have made the North End one of the poorest zip-codes in the country. John has been fighting tirelessly to change that, helping the neighborhood become designated as a federal “Promise Zone”, which gives it exclusive access to grants and federal support.John was also the first to propose a bold solution to reconnect the North End to the rest of the city; a solution that will now become reality thanks to the bipartisan infrastructure bill! Reconnecting the North End to the rest of the city will open the doors of economic opportunity in the neighborhood and correct the past mistakes of Connecticut’s highway planning. These are transformative steps forward, not just for the North End, but for all of Connecticut. John will continue to work with community leaders across the state to build on these results and further expand economic opportunity.At the national-level, John is also fighting to raise the minimum wage, lower the out of control costs of secondary education, expand access to high speed internet, and more. These bold solutions are vital to ensuring every American has a fair chance at success.ManufacturingKeeping Connecticut’s manufacturing tradition strong is key to the health of our economy, our small businesses, and our middle-class.Growing up in East Hartford, with both parents working at Pratt & Whitney, John felt the importance of Connecticut manufacturing firsthand. It provided stability for his family during difficult times, just as it has for countless families across the state. That’s why no one has been a stronger advocate for our manufacturing sector and our manufacturing workforce.John has delivered real results for Connecticut manufacturing workers, including in 2011, when he won the fight to scrap the Alternate F-35 Engine program.The elimination of the alternate engine program was a truly pivotal moment for Connecticut’s economy and for Connecticut machinists. John’s victory secured Pratt & Whitney as the sole supplier of the F-35 engine, creating thousands of accessible, high-quality jobs across the state, and generating an estimated $750 million in economic activity in the 1st Congressional District alone. When the commercial airline industry was devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic, not a single F-35 machinist was laid off, because of the lasting and unwavering nature of this program.As Co-Chair of the Congressional Joint Strike Fighter Caucus, John has continued to protect the the program from repeated attempts to create costly and unnecessary alternatives. His efforts alongside the rest of the Connecticut delegation ensured that, last December, the Pentagon named Pratt & Whitney as the sole-supplier for F-35 engine modernization work, securing the livelihoods of thousands of manufacturing workers across the state.Beyond his commitment to supporting F-35 engine production, John is dedicated to keeping Connecticut at the forefront of advanced manufacturing and technological innovation. That’s why he established the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT), alongside longtime CCAT President Elliott Ginsburg. CCAT provides technical support to dozens of smaller CT manufacturers, runs various programs to train and upskill workers across the state, and conducts ground-breaking research in areas like aerospace, defense, and energy. Connecticut leads the world in high performance manufacturing and CCAT is helping maintain that edge!Working together, John, CCAT, machinists, and Connecticut’s small and large manufacturers are ensuring our state remains a global leader in advanced manufacturing. These efforts are not only growing our economy but also helping more families across the state experience the stability and opportunity that manufacturing provided John’s own family.Social SecurityA decade ago, Republicans tried to privatize Social Security, which would have destroyed this vital program. Then, John Larson stepped in.John knew firsthand how critical Social Security was for the American people; his mother, Pauline, had needed the modest benefits to help pay for years of medical bills. For the sake of seniors like Pauline – as well as disabled Americans, veterans, families who’d lost their loved ones, and future retirees – benefits could not be cut. They were already too low!The conversation surrounding Social Security had to change. So, John worked day and night with his colleagues to change it, traveling across the country to advocate for a bold new solution to America’s retirement crisis.Today, after years of outreach and hard work, John’s efforts have been incredibly successful in transforming the landscape of Social Security politics. His landmark new bill – Social Security 2100: A Sacred Trust– cuts taxes for middle-class beneficiaries, extends program solvency, and expands benefits across the board – a drastic shift from earlier proposals. Democrats have rallied behind the bill, with nearly 200 House Democrats co-sponsoring on the very first day it was introduced. While some, like Donald Trump and Senator Lindsey Graham, continue to push to cut and privatize Social Security, John has been there at every turn to stop them. In the next few months, John looks forward to working with the Biden administration to pass Social Security 2100 and finally ensure that no American, who has paid into the system their entire life, retires into poverty. John is endorsed by numerous organizations that are fighting to save Social Security. They know first hand just how effective a champion he has been.Health CareIn 2010, as then Chair of the Democratic Caucus, John worked closely with President Obama to pass the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and provide health coverage to millions of previously uninsured Americans.The ACA fundamentally changed health care in the United States. This groundbreaking bill helped ensure no one could be refused health care coverage because of a pre-existing condition! Americans with asthma, diabetes, cancer, and other medical conditions can no longer be denied coverage because of John’s efforts.John has continued to expand the ACA since it became law. Just this year, he helped thousands sign up for coverage through AccessHealth CT and led the passage of legislation lowering health care costs for thousands of policy holders in Connecticut. More than 30,000 CT households will see their health care costs drop to nearly $0 per month because of these efforts! John has continued to deliver real results on healthcare reform, and he’s far from done. Next up, is John’s “Medicare for All Who Want It” plan. This bold solution would create an affordable, high-quality public option through the Medicare system. Anyone who wants would be able to buy-in to Medicare and everyone, even those on private insurance, would see their premiums drop.John is fighting every day for this effective, practical solution. He’s also fighting to include hearing, dental, and vision coverage in Medicare and to lower out of control prescription drug prices. He’s already made real progress, helping pass the landmark “Build Back Better” bill in the House and thereby setting the stage for Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices and cap drug costs for seniors.John won’t settle until the Build Back Better Act is across the finish line and until every American is adequately covered. Because health care is a human right.InfrastructureOur nation’s infrastructure has been in desperate need of repair for decades. Many have talked about getting it done. John and his colleagues followed through and delivered real results for the American people. The bipartisan infrastructure bill is a historic victory for the country, and for Connecticut. It includes $6 billion in direct funding to our state, in addition to hundreds of billions in competitive grants. This funding is already being used to repair our roads and bridges, upgrade our public transportation, protect our water supply, and expand internet access across the state. Most importantly, it is boosting economic growth and creating good-paying, blue-collar union jobs for CT residents.For Greater Hartford, the bipartisan infrastructure bill is truly a once-in-a-generation opportunity to correct the highway planning mistakes of 50 years ago, which have robbed our communities of their full potential. I-84 cuts North Hartford off from the rest of the city, depriving residents of economic opportunity and contributing to the 06120’s status as the poorest zip-code in Connecticut. While I-91 severely restricts access to the Hartford riverfront, one of the city’s most valuable resources. The I-84 and I-91 interchange is the No. 1 traffic congestion chokehold in New England, and the Bulkeley Bridge is the No. 3 chokehold for truck traffic.John was the first to propose a bold vision to address these challenges. He’s worked tirelessly to bring together stakeholders in pursuit of that vision, developing a comprehensive, multimodal roadmap to reduce traffic, recapture the riverfront, and reconnect the North End. Now, thanks to the bipartisan infrastructure law, he’s delivered the funding needed to turn this roadmap into a reality.Together, we can transform Greater Hartford and accomplish a 50-year goal to modernize our infrastructure. We can tackle the challenges of repairing our aging roads, bridges, and even the dangerously old levees that defend Central Connecticut from devastating floods. We’ve already made significant progress thanks to John and the unions, workers, and community leaders who stand alongside him.Climate ChangeClimate change is here now. In Connecticut and around the world, we are already seeing its effects on our air quality, wildlife, the severity of natural disasters, and more. We can’t wait any longer to cut our emissions and create new green energy jobs while we’re doing it.John knows this. That’s why he hasn’t waited for gridlock to clear in Washington to take bold action and get results.As a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, John has spearheaded numerous clean energy tax credits, which have sparked a boom in solar, wind, and other zero emission technologies. John also co-founded the House Fuel Cell Caucus, where he is an aggressive advocate for Connecticut’s growing fuel cell industry and where he has led investments in fuel cell technology.The progress made through these investments is proof that we can mitigate climate change, while creating good paying jobs and keeping the US competitive into the 21st century.And John continues to fight tirelessly for more – for the transformative solutions we need to address our climate crisis.As one of its very first cosponsors, John is fighting for the Green New Deal – an activist-driven climate plan that will slash emissions while creating blue-collar jobs and boosting our economy. He is working closely with the bill’s author, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, to grow its support base and incorporate its elements into the Build Back Better Act. Upon its passing, the Build Back Better Act will be the largest investment in combating climate change in our nation’s history. John is also fighting for a tax on carbon pollution – the most effective and direct way of fighting climate change. His carbon tax bill, The America Wins Act, puts the Green New Deal into action and would slash carbon emissions in half within a decade.We can stop climate change – with the Green New Deal and John’s America Wins Act, and with continued green-energy investments spearheaded by John and his colleagues. Climate change is here now, but so are the solutions, and John is fighting for them in Congress.Constituent ServicesMany in Congress overlook the importance of constituent service. While constituent problems aren’t as big as climate change or infrastructure, they are real and can have life-changing effects on families. John is incredibly proud of the work he and his team do every day to help constituents with problems big and small. Whether it’s a tax issue, an immigration problem, or a lost Social Security check, John fights for each and every constituent. John has helped more than 18,500 constituents during his time in Congress, including over 1,000 constituents this Congress. He knows the importance of truly listening to his constituency and their concerns; that’s why he’s held 90+ public events in 2021 alone to hear from 1st District residents. Many of these are public forums on important issues like Covid-19, health care reform, global conflicts, and police reform, to name a few. It’s a labor of love for John to assist constituents and fight for Connecticut. He considers it his duty to ensure Connecicut receives the federal investment necessary to thrive and has helped bring back an incredible $200 billion in federal funding back to the state. This funding is helping our communities recover from the COVID pandemic, combat gun violence, upgrade our infrastructure and public housing, complete important community projects, and more. More than any other Congressional representative, John goes above and beyond to deliver for his district and help his constituents.— John Larson's campaign website (May 22, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

John Larson did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

John Larson did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

John Larson did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

The following issues were listed on Larson's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

Student Debt & National Service : In the vision of President Kennedy, John is proposing a new path forward. Americans who commit to public service should receive relief from student loan debt. Whether it’s the Peace Corps, Teach for America, Vista, Americorps, the armed services, or any number of community-based organizations, the result is the same: relief from the mounting burden of student loans and the thanks of a grateful nation.

Jobs: Every American deserves the simple dignity that comes from having a job. While our economy has made great strides since the recession of 2008 and unemployment continues to fall, many Americans still struggle to find work.

Gun Violence Prevention: Connecticut knows too well the tragedy and horror of gun violence. From the shocking murders at Sandy Hook Elementary to the rash of shootings in Hartford and other urban areas, we continue to grieve the loss of too many innocent lives.

Social Security: Social Security is the bedrock program for retirement, disability, and survivor’s benefits. Over two-thirds of retirees depend on Social Security for most of their income, but talk in Washington turns too often to slashing benefits or hiking the retirement age.

Foreign Policy: Nothing is more important than preserving the safety of Americans. In the wake of horrific tragedies overseas and within our own borders, John Larson has called for taking a closer look at our nation’s security measures and strengthening our relationships with our allies.

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—John Larson's campaign website, http://larsonforcongress.org/issues/

Larson's campaign website listed the following issues:[19]

Education

Excerpt: "Education is the most important predictor of individual financial success. It’s also the key to America’s long-term success in a 21st-century economy. Yet too many American families worry that they won’t be able to afford to invest in the opportunity higher education provides. It doesn’t have to be that way."

Economy & Small Business

Excerpt: "John’s top priority is to rebuild our economy and invest in a strong economic foundation for our future that works for all Americans. After eight years of failed leadership under the Bush Administration, our country was at a crisis point. The Great Recession threw our economy into a tailspin – losing 800,000 jobs a month at the end of 2008 – while Bush-era policies made it harder for the middle class and those seeking to join it to achieve the American dream,"

Government Accountability

Excerpt: "In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of allowing corporations to spend unlimited secret money in elections. Since then, we’ve seen the rise of Super PACs and unprecedented amounts of corporate money in elections. John is working to change that by leading the effort to ensure that candidates are responsive to the American people – not to Washington lobbyists and special interests."

Veterans & Military Families

Excerpt: "America’s veterans deserve the same level of commitment that they have given to our country. John voted to increase funding for veterans’ medical care, provide a pay-raise for our troops, support military family housing programs, and restore the promise of a full college education for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans."

Energy & Environment

Excerpt: "Our dependence on foreign oil puts our national security and economy at risk. We see this risk each time instability in the Middle East hits our pocketbooks at the pump. We need to invest in an energy future that’s abundant, affordable and American, while finding ways to keep energy prices down as we transition."