Fresh from defeating a 78-year-old, 14-term incumbent, 44-year-old Luke Bronin is now preparing to take his push for generational change to Capitol Hill.
“I hope that the Democratic party begins to recognize that we have to bring a whole new energy to this fight right now,” Bronin, the former mayor of Hartford, Connecticut, said in an interview Friday. “And some of the most powerful voices that I see out there in the Democratic party are coming from newer leaders.”
After besting Rep. John Larson in last week’s Democratic primary in Connecticut, Bronin is now the favorite to win in the general in a reliably blue district against Republican physician Amy Chai. Assuming things go his way, he’ll soon join the growing chorus of lawmakers eager for more generational transition.
But Bronin was careful in explaining how, exactly, he thinks House Democrats should go about enacting that change.
When asked if he supports term limits for committee chairs or similar efforts aimed at elevating newer, and often younger, members, Bronin stopped short of saying he did, but noted, “I think we would be a healthier, stronger party if we had more renewal more often.”
Bronin also said that he’s glad he has seen some “changes to the seniority system,” in which House Democrats have historically valued a member’s tenure over their talents in committee leadership races.
He said he was encouraged, for instance, by sophomore Rep. Robert Garcia of California’s ascension to become the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee last year. When the panel’s longtime top Democrat, Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, died, Garcia ran to succeed him and defeated the more senior Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, among others.
Reps. Jared Huffman of California and Angie Craig of Minnesota also successfully replaced the longtime top Democrats on the House Natural Resources and Agriculture Committees, respectively, to serve in the 119th Congress — further underscoring an appetite for younger committee leadership in the House.
And although Bronin did not name check any particular committee leader, Democrats atop the House’s most powerful committees are all over the age of 70. That includes Reps. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut on Appropriations, Frank Pallone of New Jersey on Energy and Commerce, Richard Neal of Massachusetts on Ways and Means and Maxine Waters of California on Financial Services.
Bronin said his campaign was successful because of his message that “we are in a moment of crisis in this country, and we need a Democratic party that recognizes that we can’t just keep doing the same thing.”
That effort, Bronin said, does not include opposing Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ bid for speaker, should Democrats take the majority.
He said he will vote in favor of Jeffries’ speakership and that “on Day One of a new Democratic majority, I want us to be focused on stopping [President Donald] Trump’s corruption and holding this administration accountable, not fighting over who is going to be speaker.”
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