U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., who nudged a 78-year-old New York congressman into abandoning thoughts of reelection last year, came to Hartford on Monday to endorse the reelection campaign of a Connecticut congressman who turns 78 in July.

In a press conference outside the Old State House, Raskin said there was no contradiction in endorsing U.S. Rep. John B. Larson, D-1st District, for reelection against three Democratic challengers who are making a call for generational change in Congress.

“I just came here to tell you, John Larson is somebody we need in Washington, and there’s no reason for us to replace him right now in the middle of the biggest fight of our lives,” said Raskin, who came to prominence five years ago as the House manager of the second impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump.

Raskin, a scholar of constitutional law, said Trump is a continual threat to the rule of law, most recently by launching a war on Iran without consulting with Congress. Larson recently filed articles of impeachment against the president, an act unlikely to proceeded in the Republican-controlled Congress.

Raskin became a symbol of generational change when he announced after the 2024 election he would challenge U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., for his post as ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. Nadler conceded the Judiciary Committee post to Raskin in December 2024, then announced last fall he would not seek reelection.

He was one of three congressional Democrats who succeeded in bucking the seniority system to unseat ranking members on committees.

On Monday, Raskin said every election should be resolved by weighing the all qualities of the candidates, not just age or longevity. He did not claim any knowledge about the challengers Larson is facing: Luke Bronin and Ruth Fortune of Hartford and Jillian Gilchrest of West Hartford.

“Just speaking about John’s case, we’ve got an energetic, fired-up fighter for American democracy and the programs that have made America great, right here in John Larson,” Raskin said. “I don’t know a lot about what’s going on, but I tell you, in Washington, everybody looks to John Larson, and everybody needs John Larson.”

Larson said his challengers are “good people.”

“But as Jamie said, we’re in the middle of a crisis, probably the most important crisis in my lifetime in this individual that we’re facing,” Larson said. “Now is the time for us to unite as Democrats and to move forward and take on Donald Trump every single day.”

Bronin, the former Hartford mayor who is broadly seen as Larson’s strongest challenger, said Raskin, who was only in Congress for five years when he served on the Jan. 6 committee and led the impeachment case against Trump, makes the case that seniority is no reason to reelect Larson to a 15th term in Connecticut.

“Jamie Raskin is the perfect example of why it’s so important and so powerful to get new energy and new voices in the Democratic Party,” said Bronin, whose campaign reached out to the press after the Raskin event.

Raskin downplayed his challenge to Nadler.

“I meant no disrespect to him, and we’re still friends,” Raskin said. “I love the guy, but I just said I thought he was getting sick of all of the tedious administrative work that goes along with being a chairman or a ranking member.”

“I’ve got the energy to do all of that scut work as the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, and I wanted to have a turn at it,” Raskin said.