WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — State Rep. Jillian Gilchrest, a Democrat from West Hartford, has entered the race for Congress in the state’s 1st Congressional District.
She made the announcement Tuesday morning in an Instagram video.
Gilchrest was first elected to the legislature in 2018 after defeating a longtime Democratic incumbent in a primary election battle. She is now embarking on a similar endeavor, taking aim at the incumbent in the 1st District, Congressman John Larson.
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Larson has served in Congress since 1999 and currently faces four challengers within his own party. Luke Bronin, the former mayor of Hartford, launched his campaign earlier this month.
Hartford attorney and Board of Education member Ruth Fortune is also a declared candidate. So is Southington town councilor and businessman Jack Perry.
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The five candidates will vie for the endorsement of local Democratic Party leaders at a district convention next spring. A primary election would be held later that summer if more than one candidate qualifies for the ballot – either by receiving enough support at the district convention or by gathering petition signatures.
In her time in the legislature, Gilchrest has identified with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party – staunchly defending abortion rights, advocating for the state’s paid family and medical leave program and backing the legislative priorities of labor unions.
Over the course of four terms in the legislature, Gilchrest has risen to co-chair the Human Services Committee, which oversees many of the state’s social service programs.
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