Meet Connecticut's Billionaire-Backed Dark-Money Democrat

Former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin earned $237,000 consulting for a civic organization funded in large part by two prominent benefactors. Then they maxed out their contributions to his congressional campaign.

https://prospect.org/2026/05/21/meet-connecticuts-billionaire-backed-dark-money-democrat-bronin-larson-congress/


Then-Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin listens to Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s budget address at the State Capitol, February 3, 2016, in Hartford, Connecticut. Credit: Jessica Hill/AP Photo

In Connecticut, incumbent members of Congress can be harder to unseat because of the state’s convention-driven primary system. The main way candidates get on the primary ballot is by a vote of delegates, who are selected from local party committees, at a statewide party convention. Winning a majority of delegate support is seen as a strong indication of support, though anyone who gets at least 15 percent of votes still makes the ballot. This process often favors those with established party relationships, institutional support, and existing political infrastructure. This year, however, one candidate seems to have flipped the usual script.

On May 11, former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin secured the Democratic endorsement for Connecticut’s First Congressional District in a historic upset to incumbent Rep. John Larson (D-CT), a working-class progressive with a storied record of taking on corporate power. Bronin emerged victorious in the second round of the contested convention, defeating Larson by a relatively thin margin. They will face off once again, this time in the Democratic primary on August 11.

Bronin also counts himself among the roster of Democrats whose perceived electability and moderate politics have landed them a seat on The Bench, a months-old political action committee (PAC) dedicated to advancing “the next generation of Democratic leaders.” The Bench and Majority Democrats, another new PAC with seemingly identical goals, share the same fundraising arm—the Majority Fund—and operate a well-oiled machine revealed by The Lever last month to be “playing an unprecedented role in Democratic primaries,” funneling millions of dollars to boost corporate-friendly moderates “while sharing the same big-money donors, political consultants, and often the same policy proposals.”

The dark-money network is largely bankrolled by billionaire hedge fund manager Stephen Mandel and his spouse, Susan. They’re also the central backers of The Connecticut Project, which as the organization’s website states rather emphatically, consists of “two independent, distinct, and separately funded and governed organizations: The Connecticut Project, a 501c3 public charity, and The Connecticut Project Action Fund, a 501c4 advocacy organization.” The Mandels serve on the board of the Connecticut Project, and Susan Mandel is a member of The Connecticut Project Action Fund’s board.

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