Endorsements
2026 Candidates
The Steady State endorses candidates for Congress, Governor, and other national-security-relevant offices who show a consistent commitment to the rule of law regardless of party, support nonpartisan oversight of the Executive Branch, and understand the security challenges facing the country. Endorsed candidates must also uphold democratic norms — the peaceful transfer of power, rejection of political violence, and defense of civil liberties including a free press and the right to dissent. The Steady State does not endorse candidates who have worked to subvert democratic institutions, discredited the security community without evidence, or promoted disinformation or extremism.
Luke Bronin (CT-01)
Luke Bronin is running for Congress in Connecticut’s First District. A Rhodes Scholar, he served as a Navy intelligence officer and deployed to Afghanistan with the U.S. military’s anti-corruption task force, then served in the Obama Treasury Department, helping create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and later as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes. Before becoming mayor of Hartford, he served as General Counsel to Governor Dannel Malloy, where he helped enact Connecticut’s gun safety laws and supported green energy initiatives.
Joe Courtney (CT-02)
Joe Courtney represents Connecticut’s Second District and is running for re-election. A lifelong Connecticut resident, he earned his law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law and worked as a public defender and town attorney in Vernon before serving as a state representative, where he chaired the Public Health and Human Services Committees. He was first elected to Congress in 2006, and eventually gained a seat on the House Armed Services Committee. He now chairs the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, which oversees all submarine and ship construction programs.