77-year-old Rep. John Larson faces Dem primary challenge after House floor freeze-up

Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), the 77-year-old who froze up during a House floor speech in February due to what his staff said was a partial seizure, is now facing a primary challenger.Why it matters: Like many of the younger insurgents trying to unseat longtime incumbents, challenger Luke Bronin is running explicitly on a message of generational change."I respect people who have served in Congress for decades, but at a certain point, it's just time to let some new voices in," Bronin, 46, said in a video launching his campaign.Larson has served in Congress for more than 25 years, having been first elected in 1998.State of play: Bronin, an Afghanistan veteran and lawyer, served as the mayor of Hartford from 2016 to 2024.In his launch video, Bronin channels the growing grassroots frustration with Democratic lawmakers, saying: "We have to change the way we're doing things, and we don't have time to wait.""I'm worried about our Democratic Party," he says. "If we're going to win back what we lost to Donald Trump, we need a party that's ... aggressive and clear about what we're fighting for and who we're fighting for."The other side: A spokesperson for Larson did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but his campaign told Axios in May that he "does intend to run for reelection."Larson said Tuesday he is "definitely" going to be a candidate and argued that his seniority will be valuable if Democrats win the majority and are in the position to craft legislation — particularly to protect Social Security.The congressman previously served in Democratic leadership and was chair of the House Democratic caucus during the first half of the Obama administration.What to watch: Larson could face a tough battle to keep his seat, as Bronin has a past electoral record and Hartford is the largest population center in his district.Larson's health could be an obstacle for him as well, following the partial seizure that caused him to freeze up during a House floor speech, which his staff initially attributed to an "adverse reaction" to new medication.Larson said in a statement at the time that he had a heart valve replacement 15 years ago due to "a variation in the shape of my aortic valve that I was born with," which can later result in symptoms such as a "momentary change in speech or movement."

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