Democratic Rep. John Larson, the ranking member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security and a longtime champion of expanding benefits, will not appear on the November ballot after losing Connecticut’s 1st Congressional District primary on Tuesday. According to MSNOW, with 99% of votes counted, former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin won roughly 54% of the vote, compared with Larson’s 33%.
Larson, who has served 14 terms in the House, acknowledged the defeat in a speech Tuesday night, saying he was “disappointed” but “far from disheartened,” and stressed the need for Democrats to unite and “fight for what’s right for the American people.”
His loss carries particular significance because lawmakers elected in 2026 will likely be tasked with addressing Social Security’s looming funding shortfall, projected to hit in the fourth quarter of 2032, when the trust fund that helps pay retirement benefits is expected to be depleted. At that point, only 78% of benefits would be payable unless Congress acts.
A champion of expansion
Larson has long been the leading voice in the House for the Social Security 2100 Act, a bill he reintroduced on June 26 that aims to expand benefits while shoring up the program’s finances. A Senate version was introduced by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., on July 21.
The proposal includes an across-the-board benefit increase, a shift in how annual cost-of-living adjustments are calculated, and a higher minimum benefit for long-term low earners. To pay for those changes, the bill would eliminate the Social Security payroll tax cap and impose taxes on investment income for households earning over $400,000. In 2026, the cap is set at $184,500, meaning earnings above that are not subject to the 6.2% payroll tax for workers and employers.
During a July 28 debate, Larson predicted the bill would be “one of the first bills taken up” in the first 100 days of the next Congress, saying, “We will put Social Security in place and pay for it.”
But Bronin challenged that optimism, noting that the Social Security 2100 Act failed to advance out of committee even when Democrats held the House majority. “To say that it’s going to become law in the first 100 days of the next Congress when Donald Trump is in the White House, I think, is not being honest with voters,” Bronin said.
Bronin’s stance, and the Republican challenge
During the debate, Bronin said he would be “proud to fight to protect Social Security” but emphasized that meaningful change requires building a movement beyond Capitol Hill. He also called for “younger champions of Social Security,” arguing that success depends on “every American of every age recognizing that they’ve got a stake in this.”
While Bronin did not lay out detailed plans in the debate, his senior advisor Amanda Sands told CNBC via email that he “believes that part of the solution has to be lifting the cap so that higher earners pay more into Social Security, as a number of proposed bills would require.”
In the general election, Bronin will face Republican Amy Chai, a physician specializing in primary care and addiction medicine. Chai told CNBC via email that she “strongly” opposes both parties’ approaches to Social Security. Her platform includes keeping the payroll tax cap and rate unchanged, eliminating the employer portion of the self-employment tax, and requiring government employees to participate in Social Security. She also proposed that Social Security obligations be funded before foreign aid is released, calling that “the FAIR way to deal with the Social Security tax.”
Stakes for beneficiaries
The outcome matters not just for policy debates but for real beneficiaries. Connecticut residents could face some of the steepest cuts if the trust fund is depleted: according to June estimates from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the average monthly benefit cut in Connecticut would be $556, based on an assumed 24% across-the-board reduction.
Advocates say the fight is not over. Social Security Works, which has endorsed candidates based on their platforms for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, pledged to continue pushing for the changes Larson proposed. “We will take the handoff of Congressman Larson’s baton and honor his life’s work by fighting harder than ever to make billionaires pay their fair share so we can protect and expand Social Security for everyone,” said Alex Lawson, the group’s executive director.
Source: www.cnbc.com — https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/16/social-security-john-larson-connecticut-primary.html
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