Late Monday afternoon negotiations continued between the lawyered-up campaign camps of Mayor Joe Ganim and opponent John Gomes to set a date for a court-ordered redo of a Democratic primary.
It appears at the earliest December 19, but possibly deeper into January 2024 while navigating the holiday calendar.
The office of the Connecticut Secretary of the State is also part of the equation. This is uncharted territory for all the parties including the state.
The big unknown: is another general election required after the primary redo no matter what? Ganim won last week’s election by 175 votes. Lawyers for Ganim and Gomes believe if Ganim wins the primary redo he nets another four-year term; if Gomes prevails another general election because Ganim would occupy a spot on the New Movement Party line.
But, what if the state surmises another general election must take place even if Ganim wins the second primary? That’s something under discussion, and perhaps one more legal issue to parse.
This equation includes political leaders of the campaigns pondering a sprint betters a marathon to maximize a vote. Both camps are broke and reloading revenue. In addition, many campaign workers toiling the streets for months desire a break to recharge.
So much new territory to cover in more ways than one.
With $1 Million spent (or at least reportedly raised) is it really this valued a close? Signs of November 7 have rapidly disappeared and the idea of more elections provides us with a living Groundhog Day of our own, or so it seems.
If the primary re-do has only the two parties who faced off, as previously seen in September, is the subject of Parties and partisanship so important especially the mention of the New Movement group? How many of the nearly 42,000 Dems will show up, snow or not?
What do the special legal minds have to tell us about this epic struggle, with fewer than 20% of invited audience expected to participate? Perhaps this is an example of why an open primary voting opportunity would be worthwhile, save the City money, provide a last (final) vote, and answer the question, of WHO GOVERNS in the interim? If Aidee Nieves is sworn in along with other Council members on December 4, 2023 and her fellow Council persons elect her President of that same Council, does she take upon herself the role of Acting Mayor? Time will tell.
Will the Working Family Party endorse Gomes?
Of course a new, general election is required! “Ballotgate,” and everything that happened after September 12 on the way to November 7, mandates that all of the candidates receive consideration and accommodation by the courts regarding provision of a campaigning period that isn’t obscured by the media-distraction/ sensationalism generated in the aftermath of the Primary by the illicit, pre-primary/post-primary antics of the Democratic Primary contestants on the way to November 7. Additionally, they also deserve an election-time atmosphere that isn’t corrupted by voter sentiment affected by the aforementioned Democratic Primary fiasco, the latter of which most probably caused very significant political disaffection among potential voters such that the possibility of related, suppressed voter turnout, in the context of the creation of a Democratic-voter-turnout skewness displayed in the November 7 results, that conceivably deprived the “bystander candidacies” of turnout and votes, must be considered by the court, and a remedy (new general election) applied…
Let’s hope for a “mild” winter…
Why would a new general be required if G2 wins this asinine play If all players are the same? If that’s the case since a new primary is called why can’t Moore or Daniel petition to be on it? That’s fair and honest, right?
Holier-than-thou, 20,000 shades of ballots. Here’s a second chance to unrig what you have rigged and get Moore, a sitting CT Senator, on the primary ballot, and General for that matter. You are no stranger to the courts concerning Port election matters. Peter’s rooting for you, thou with little faith. You can understand why, considering what you spiel out your mouth, Good Job. 🤣
#unchartedterritory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyzwCpofQSA
I say let’s shoot for an Easter Primary. Brian wants to run. Good luck Port, the Easter Bunny is rooting for you. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hROqyyATw0I