John B Larson

Early life, education, and teaching/business career

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

Larson was also the co-owner of an insurance agency in East Hartford before entering public service. In 1971, he was selected as a Senior Fellow to the Yale University Bush Center in Child Development and Social Policy by the Head Start Program founder, Edward Zigler.

Early political career

Larson began his political career 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 the Connecticut Senate from the 3rd district, based in East Hartford. He served six terms in that body, the last four as President pro tempore of the Connecticut Senate.

Elections

In 1994, Larson left the state senate and sought the Democratic nomination for Governor of Connecticut but was defeated by Bill 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 defeated Secretary of State Miles Rappaport in the Democratic primary for the 1st District when 17-year incumbent Barbara Kennelly gave up the seat to run for governor in 1998. This was tantamount to election in this heavily Democratic district. He has been re-elected six times with no substantive opposition.

On February 1, 2006, Larson was elected Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus. The previous vice chairman, Jim Clyburn, moved up to chairman when Bob Menendez was appointed to the United States Senate. After the Democrats won control of Congress in the 2006 elections, Larson opted not to run for caucus chairman—a post that went to former Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman Rahm Emanuel, instead running unopposed for re-election as vice chairman.

After being re-elected in 2008, Larson was elected chairman of the Caucus for the 111th Congress, after Emanuel was named White House Chief of Staff.

Energy and the Environment

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. Larson cosponsored the Energy 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.” 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.” Larson’s stances on environmental protection have earned him a rating of 100% with the League of Conservation Voters.

Jobs and the Economy

In 2010 Larson introduced the Small 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 is a strong advocate for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which increases federal spending in infrastructure, education, health and energy as well as expanding certain welfare and social security programs. Larson’s liberal stance on government spending has earned him a rating of 9% with Citizens Against Government Waste, a conservative anti-government spending interest group.

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

Abortion and Marriage Equality

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

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Personal life

Larson married Leslie Best, one of his former students from his high school teaching days at George J. Penney High School (now East Hartford High School). They now have three children and reside in East Hartford.