At a press conference in West Hartford on Sunday, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal announced his support for U.S. Rep. John Larson before the two participated in a donation to support the town’s food pantry.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (left) and U.S. Rep. John Larson unload a donation to the West Hartford Food Pantry at Town Hall on Nov. 2, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

By Ronni Newton

U.S. Rep. John Larson, who announced in September that he will be seeking a 15th term in Congress in 2026, received another high-profile endorsement at a press conference in front of West Hartford Town Hall on Sunday – this one from Connecticut’s senior senator.

“He has been a friend, a mentor, a role model for so many of us over so many years. He is a champion, and he knows what it is to fight for freedom, for women’s reproductive rights, for collective bargaining opportunities, for the kinds of values that we prize as people in Connecticut,” U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Sunday as he announced his support for Larson.

Blumenthal, now serving his third term in the Senate, said much is at stake in the upcoming 2026 election, with “preservation of democracy” as the critical issue. “John Larson stands for working people, for freedom of the press, of religion, and all of the values that we prize so much,” Blumenthal said.

As the government shutdown hits its second month, Blumenthal said that Larson is a “unifier” needed at a time of deep division. Amid what he called a “totalitarian takeover” that will benefit oligarchs and billionaires, Larson’s leadership is needed to get results for everyday Americans as well as bring people together to seek common ground at “a critical moment in our nation’s history when our democracy is under threat and when people are really hurting as prices rise, as jobs are threatened, as the economy moves forward too slowly for so many people – working people and families,” Blumenthal said.

“We are fighting to ensure families have food on the table and access to affordable health insurance. Connecticut’s middle class is stressed and stretched. We are on their side.  Connecticut’s First District needs a strong, effective leader like John Larson to advocate for them. It is why I am proud to endorse John Larson for reelection to Congress,” reads Blumenthal’s official endorsement statement.

U.S. Rep. John Larson (right) speaks a press conference at West Hartford Town Hall on Nov. 2, after receiving an endorsement from U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (left). Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Larson, who was endorsed last month by Blumenthal’s Washington colleague, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, said this is “a special endorsement from a special friend,” someone he has worked with in many capacities over the years.

After the press conference, both Larson and Blumenthal brought a wagon loaded with non-perishable food and household goods to donate to the West Hartford Food Pantry, which had a booth at the town’s Community Block Party taking place on the other side of the Town Hall building. The donation was intended to highlight not only the crisis some families began to face due to the government shutdown but a need that has become more dire as of Nov. 1, when replenishment of balances on SNAP cards – which are used by more than 360,000 needy Connecticut residents – was halted.

“When we’ve already appropriated the money, when we have already have additional money that is set aside in a contingency fund of over 5 billion dollars, there is no reason. For any human being, can you imagine, who would turn food away from the children, the elderly, the disabled, and the veterans who need it,” Larson said.

U.S. Rep. John Larson (left) and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal speak with a member of West Hartford’s CERT after dropping off a donation to the West Hartford Food Pantry at Town Hall on Nov. 2, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

“Connecticut deserves leaders who fight every day to lower costs, not leaders who hold them hostage to Donald Trump’s political games,” Larson said in his official statement. “I’m grateful for Sen. Blumenthal’s endorsement and partnership in standing up for working families. Together, we’re confronting Trump’s attacks on Connecticut families and putting people before politics.”

Larson, 77, was first elected in 1998 and has served in the House since he took office in 1999. The former public school teacher and coach, one of eight children who grew up in public housing in East Hartford, is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Larson has not faced serious competition within his own party since his first campaign, but this year faces several announced  challengers, including former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, 46, and West Hartford state Rep. Jillian Gilchrest, 43.

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