All four candidates will attend the debate on Wednesday, July 29, which is also open to the public.

By Ronni Newton

The League of Women Voters Greater Hartford (LWVGH) will be hosting a debate with the Democratic candidates who are running in the Aug. 11, 2026 primary. The debate, which will be held live and is open to the public, is being conducted in partnership with Hartford Public Access TV (HPATV), West Hartford Community Interactive (WHCi), Hartford Public Library, and Hartford Votes.

All four candidates who are running in the Democratic Primary – Luke Bronin, Ruth Fortune, Jillian Gilchrest, and John Larson – will be participating.

Voters in the 27 towns in the first 1st Congressional District are invited to attend in person at the Travelers Center for Arts and Culture at the Hartford Public Library, the LWVGH said in a news release. The debate will be moderated by non-partisan League members who live in towns outside of the 1st District.

Doors to the Travelers Center for Arts and Culture, located at the Hartford Public Library, 500 Main Street, Hartford, open at 5:30 p.m. The debate will be held from 6 to 7 p.m.

Parking is available at the rear of the library, as well as on surrounding streets.

The debate will also be live streamed on www.HPATV.org, broadcast live on HPATV’s Cable TV Channels (Xfinity Channel 96 GOV and Frontier Channel 6032 GOV), the HPA TV YouTube Channel, HPATV’s Facebook Page and HPATV’s AppleTV, RokuTV and PrimeTV apps. It will also be streamed live by WHCi on Comcast Channel 5 and Frontier Channel 6098 and its YouTube channel.

Following the conclusion of the debate, it will be available for viewing on all HPATV and WHCi channels and streaming outlets and made available for video on demand. The program link will be shared with the campaigns, organizers said. The broadcast will also be made available to other public access stations in the 1st District and posted on the LWVGH website and social media.

Connecticut’s 1st Congressional District includes the following 27 cities and towns: Barkhamsted, Berlin, Bloomfield, Bristol, Colebrook, Cromwell, East Granby, East Hartford, East Windsor, Glastonbury (partial), Granby, Hartford, Hartland, Manchester, Middletown (partial), New Hartford, Newington, Portland, Rocky Hill, South Windsor, Southington, Torrington (partial), West Hartford, Wethersfield, Winchester, Windsor, and Windsor Locks.

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