A member of The Republicans, he has been a Senator for the Yvelines department since 1986, with an interruption between 2004 and 2007, when he was Minister for Employment, Labour and Professional Integration of Young People under President Jacques Chirac.

After he graduated from the National Veterinary School of Lyon (ENVL), Larcher worked from 1974 to 1979 in the France team of equestrian sports.

In 1976, Larcher joined the movement of young Gaullists, because he admired Charles de Gaulle and supported the policy orientations of the founder of the Fifth Republic.

On 31 July 2008, he was declared a candidate for the UMP primary to elect the President of the Senate, against former Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin.

"[3] Ahead of the 2022 presidential elections, Larcher publicly declared his support for Xavier Bertrand as the Republicans’ candidate.