Rep. Larson, challenger Bronin sit down ahead of primary

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Incumbent Rep. John Larson (D-CT) and his primary challenger Luke Bronin sat down with Emma Wulfhorst ahead of their August 11 primary.

Below is a transcript of the selected portions seen in the video above, all answers edited for length and clarity:

EMMA WULFHORST, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: “Just walk me through first, Congressman, why are you running for reelection this year?”

REP. JOHN LARSON (D-CT): “I’ve spent 28 years now in Congress, and I’ll come back as the chairman of the Social Security Ways and Means Committee. That impacts all 330 million Americans, but it impacts the people that I grew up with, 40% of whom, all they ever receive is going to be their Social Security benefits.

I’m not running to hold on to a seat, I’m not running for any other higher office. I’m running because I’m fulfilling a commitment I made to the people that I grew up with."

WULFHORST: “Why are you in this race? What made you want to launch this campaign?”

LUKE BRONIN: “Look, my whole career, I’ve been fighting for fairness. You know, it was in the Obama administration or on the anti-corruption task force in Afghanistan. We’re trying to fight 24/7 to lift up a city that’s been left behind. And what I see right now is a country that’s in crisis.

We’ve got a president, you know, in Trump who is out of control, who’s taken corruption to levels we have never seen in this country before. We have an economy that’s broken and costs going through the roof, higher and higher, and a Democratic party that I just think isn’t bringing enough energy to this fight."

WULFHORST: And how much is, you know, your challenge of an incumbent like Larson in this race, ideological versus more of bringing a generational change?

BRONIN: “Look, again, I think at the core of it, is that we have to build a Democratic party that can defeat Donald Trump. And we have a president who is a conman and a criminal, and he beat us twice. And we need a Democratic party that’s bringing a whole different kind of energy that is clear and forceful about what we’re fighting for. And I think we got to make some changes as a Democratic party if we’re going to be able to do that.”

WULFHORST: “And how important do you think that experience in office is to bring to that?”

LARSON: “I think it’s vital because what happens here and I think this is -- that’s very important point -- if you’re coming to Congress for the first time, you start at the very bottom and you have to work your way up. That happens to everybody. But if you have the opportunity to send someone who’s going to be a chairman, that means your voice in your district is amplified.

That means that you’re an asset for your district. That means that you’re going to be able to deliver on what you say and what you’ve been able to do, and not start off [from the bottom], being a committee chairman means that you’re in the room when the decisions are being made. I think people understand that and respect it."

WULFHORST: “What do you say to voters who might be looking at this race and thinking, “well, Larson is the incumbent. He he’s been in office for a while and I haven’t had a problem, you know, with what he’s done or how he’s represented me.” What do you say to voters who, who that’s their perspective."

BRONIN: “What I hear from voters, you know, all over this district almost every day is a version of the way I feel, which is “I respect John Larson, but it’s time.” You know, he’s been there since 1998. And if we’re going to build a Democratic Party that is actually able to make some bigger changes, we have to be able to look ourselves in the mirror as a Democratic party and make some changes."

WULFHORST: “Luke Bronin, one of your main opponents here, you know, he does have experience as a as the mayor of the, of the city of Hartford. But he said, you know, he appreciates and values and respects the experience that you’ve had over the past 28 years. But he says it’s time for generational change. What’s your response to that?”

LARSON: “My response is that, look, Luke said the same thing to me when he was running for governor, that he was, you know, he was ready to run for governor, and I was the best, congressman, he ever had and thanked me for the billions of dollars that we were delivering. I think lose Luke’s case, especially, is expedient.

And, the focus here is going to be with the people in the district and who they think can deliver the most. Luke had an opportunity to stay and finish the job in Hartford. He left. Luke had an opportunity, even in his first year, that he was mayor of Hartford, to stay there and do the job, and he ran for governor then.

A lot of people think he’s probably just going to run for another office. That’s what this seat is not about. You have to stay here, build a record, put in the time and deliver for the district."

WULFHORST: “If I’m not mistaken, you’re 47, correct?”

BRONIN: “Correct.”

WULFHORST: “What does it say to you that if you won this race, you would be in the 100 youngest members in the House of Representatives at 47?”

BRONIN: “Look, I respect anybody who served in Congress for decades, but I think we would be so much stronger as a Democratic party if we had more leaders who recognize that part of leadership is knowing when to pass the torch.”

WULFHORST: “When do you think you might know when it is time to step aside and pass that baton? Do you think you’ll know when that point comes?”

REP. LARSON: “Well, I think everyone does. When you reach that point, you know, the decision becomes pretty obvious. But I don’t think there’s anyone that would have worked for a decade to get Social Security to the point where it is to have over 200 signatures. This bill is going to be taken up in the first 100 days. I couldn’t walk away from that, and I don’t think anyone else would either.”