John Larson
Larson in 2018
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromConnecticut's1st district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 1999
Preceded by	Barbara Kennelly
House positions Chair of the House Democratic Caucus In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2013 Leader Nancy Pelosi Preceded by Rahm Emanuel Succeeded by Xavier Becerra Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus In office January 17, 2006 – January 3, 2009 Leader Nancy Pelosi Preceded by Jim Clyburn Succeeded by Xavier Becerra Ranking Member of theHouse Administration Committee In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2005 Preceded by Steny Hoyer Succeeded by Juanita Millender-McDonald
President pro tempore of the Connecticut Senate
In office January 7, 1987 – January 4, 1995
Preceded by	Philip Robertson
Succeeded by	M. Adela Eads
Member of theConnecticut State Senate from the3rd district
In office January 5, 1983 – January 4, 1995
Preceded by	Marcella Fahey
Succeeded by	Kevin Rennie
Personal details
Born	John Barry Larson (1948-07-22)July 22, 1948 (age 77) Hartford,Connecticut, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Leslie Best ​ (m. 1981)​
Children	3
Relatives	Tim Larson (brother)
Education	Central Connecticut State University (BA)
Signature
Website	House website Campaign website
Larson's voice Larson honoringGabby Giffords after the2011 Tucson shooting. Recorded January 12, 2011

John Barry Larson (born July 22, 1948) is an American politician and businessman serving as theU.S. representative forConnecticut's 1st congressional district since 1999. The district is based in the state capital,Hartford. A member of theDemocratic Party, Larson chaired theHouse Democratic Caucus during the111th and112th United States Congress.

Larson was born in Hartford, but has spent most of his life in nearbyEast Hartford. He grew up in a public housing project. He was educated atEast Hartford High School andCentral Connecticut State University. He worked as a high school history teacher and an assistant athletics coach at George J. Penney High School (Penney High later merged withEast Hartford High School).

Larson began his career as the co-owner of an insurance agency in East Hartford before entering public service. In 1971, he was selected as a Senior Fellow to theYale University Bush Center in Child Development and Social Policy byHead Start Program founderEdward Zigler. He transitioned into politics in 1977, when he served one term on the East Hartford Board of Education. He then served two terms on the East Hartford Town Council.

In 1982, Larson was elected to theConnecticut Senate from the 3rd district, based in East Hartford. He served six terms in that body, the last four aspresident pro tempore.

In 1994, Larson left the state senate and sought the Democratic nomination forgovernor of Connecticut, losing toBill Curry in the primary. After being defeated for governor, Larson entered private business for several years but was able to maintain his political credentials.

Due in part to service in the Democratic Party and his local connections in the state, he narrowly defeatedSecretary of StateMiles S. Rapoport in the Democratic primary for the 1st district when 17-year incumbentBarbara Kennelly gave up the seat to run for governor in 1998. The 1st has long been the most Democratic district in Connecticut, and Larson's victory in November was a foregone conclusion. He has been reelected eleven times with no substantive opposition.

On February 1, 2006, Larson was electedvice chair of the House Democratic Caucus. The previous vice chair,Jim Clyburn, became chair whenBob Menendez was appointed to theUnited States Senate. After the Democrats won control of Congress in the 2006 elections, Larson opted not to run for caucus chair—a post that went to formerDemocratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairRahm Emanuel—instead running unopposed for reelection as vice chair. After being reelected in2008, Larson was elected chair of the caucus for the111th Congress, after Emanuel was namedWhite House Chief of Staff.^[1]

In 2025, Larson rejected calls to step aside amidst "generational change" and concerns over his age while facing multiple serious primary challengers after suffering a complex partial seizure on the House floor in February. He said, "Generational change is fine, but you've got to earn it, it's not like, 'Oh geez, you know what, why didn't I think of that? Now's the time for me to step down because, well, it's generational change!'" House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries also said that he "strongly" supports Larson's reelection.^[2]

For the first time since 1999, Larson faces serious Democratic challengers.^[3]

On September 19, 2025, Larson was one of 95 Democrats in Congress who joined all of their Republican colleagues in voting to honor the life and legacy of far-right^[4][5] political activist Charlie Kirk.^[6]

Larson has introduced various pieces of legislation in attempts to nationalize the US's energy and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to protect the environment. He cosponsored theEnergy Independence and Security Act of 2007 "to move the United States toward greater energy independence and security, to increase the production of clean renewable fuels, to protect consumers, to increase the efficiency of products, buildings, and vehicles, to promote research on and deploy greenhouse gas capture and storage options, and to improve the energy performance of the Federal Government, and for other purposes."^[7] According to Larson, "I have become convinced of the need for comprehensive legislation to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases we are emitting into the environment."^[8] His stances on environmental protection have earned him a rating of 100% with the League of Conservation Voters.^[9]

In 2010 Larson introduced theSmall Business Jobs Act of 2010, authorizing the creation of the Small Business Lending Fund Program administered by the Treasury Department to make capital investments in eligible institutions, in order to increase the availability of credit for small businesses. Larson was a strong advocate for theAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which increased federal spending in infrastructure, education, health and energy while expanding some welfare and social security programs. His liberal stance on government spending has earned him a rating of 9% with Citizens Against Government Waste, a conservative anti-government spending interest group.^[9]

Larson received media attention for scolding members of Congress for shutting down the government on September 30, 2013.^[10]

Larson was among the 46 Democrats who voted against final passage of theFiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House.^[11]

Larson has consistently voted both to legalize same-sex marriage and to expand options for legal abortion. He voted to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, and in favor of the Sexual Orientation Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA).^[12] The Human Rights Campaign gave Larson a rating of 94%. Larson voted not to end federal funding toPlanned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice American both gave him a rating of 100%.^[9]

In March 2025 Larson showed visible frustration atElon Musk's failure to appear before the HouseWays and Means Committee and answerDOGE datatransparency questions.^[13][14]

For the119th Congress:^[15]

• Committee on Ways and Means
  • Subcommittee on Social Security (Ranking Member)
  • Subcommittee on Trade

• Congressional Shellfish Caucus (co-chair)
• House Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Coalition (co-chair)
• House Baltic Caucus^[16]
• Congressional Arts Caucus^[17]
• Afterschool Caucuses^[18]
• Black Maternal Health Caucus^[19]
• Congressional Equality Caucus^[20]
• Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus^[21]
• United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus^[22]
• Climate Solutions Caucus^[23]
• Congressional Ukraine Caucus^[24]
• Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus^[25]
• Blue Collar Caucus
• Congressional Blockchain Caucus^[26]
• Rare Disease Caucus^[27]

Larson is married to Leslie Best. They have three children and reside in East Hartford.^[28]

On February 11, 2025, while speaking on the floor of the House, Larson froze for about 30 seconds mid-sentence. His office later responded that it was likely an "adverse reaction" to new medication, and underwent tests conducted by theAttending Physician of the United States Congress.^[29] His office later clarified that Larson had experienced acomplex partial seizure caused by a heart valve replacement fifteen years earlier.^[30] Larson returned to his duties and was present for voting on the House floor on February 13.^[30]

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John Barry Larson

• Congressman John B. Larson official U.S. House website
• John B. Larson for Congress

• Biography at theBiographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at theFederal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at theLibrary of Congress
• Profile atVote Smart
• Appearances onC-SPAN

• 1948 births
• 20th-century members of the Connecticut General Assembly
• 21st-century United States representatives
• Central Connecticut State University alumni
• Connecticut Democrats
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