Bridgeport Is Connecticut’s King Of Absentee Ballot Voters

Analysis and Comment, City Politics, News and Events, State Politics10 Comments

Bridgeport is king of the hill in Connecticut among absentee ballot voters. It’s not even close, a trend that has soared the past decade as a measure of overall Democratic voters in the city.

Bridgeport, Connecticut’s most populous city, also features the most registered Democrats in the state, roughly 41,000. Of the 5,456 Democrats who voted citywide in Tuesday’s primaries, 1,850 votes were tabulated as absentee, about one third, according to reporting statistics from the Office of the Secretary of the State (SOTS). Statewide Dem turnout was about 14 percent with Bridgeport about 13 percent.

Primary turnout is notoriously lower than general elections.

Just to compare a likewise city, 5,339 Dems voted in New Haven, with 459 counted as absentee.

In Connecticut’s 127th General Assembly District, City Councilman Marcus Brown holds a five-vote advantage awaiting Tuesday’s scheduled recount. Brown’s ground operation, winning all three district precincts, staved off an absentee ballot harvesting by the campaign of incumbent Jack Hennessy that represents a staggering 45 percent of the vote he received, an effort headed by his campaign manager Maria Pereira.

Remember the days that featured chronic complaining by candidates who came up on the lopsided losing end of the absentee ballot battle? Opponents to the party organization are now saying we’ll play too. It’s been made much easier to vote by mail in a state requiring excuse-only absentee voting because electors may now simply cite an illness, such as a covid, as reason to avoid walk-in precincts.

The SOTS stats show a tight outcome in Bridgeport between incumbent State Senator Dennis Bradley and endorsed-Dem Herron Gaston who emerged victorious. Gaston won Bridgeport 1,599 to Bradley’s 1,555.

Gaston, by percentage, won the Stratford portion of the district handily, by more than 100 votes.

Snapshot of turnout

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10 comments

  1. Politics has been failing Bridgeport since 1965 — the dawn of peacetime deficit spending and the beginning of its industrial decline. Here’s the good news: because Bridgeport is the most value-depleted city in America, it’s also the easiest city to add value to . I’m talking about the kind of value that can be measured in dollars, time, speed and zip codes. If you’re not familiar with the value-added concept you will be soon, thanks to this — https://www.eaglobal.org/ .
    The best way to put Bridgeport on the map is to draw a new map with Bridgeport at its center.

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  2. Lennie, where’s the breakdown? Besides the staggering 45% ABs count for Hennessy’s total vote count, where is Brown’s, Gaston’s, and Bradley’s land on ABs? Did Gaston best Bradley in ABs? Did Gaston’s AB by the machine put him over the top?

    To says that featured chronic complaining by candidates who came up on the lopsided losing end of the absentee ballot battle might be incomplete if Gaston’s ABs best Bradley’s count.

    It seems we are blaming Stratford for Bradley’s loss and Maria for losing/offending Caruso who abandoned Hennessy. 🙂 If that is the case how did Caruso stick it to her with Hennessy’s loss? I mean, from my perspective, The AB’s count never reached a staggering 45 % of the total vote. I could be wrong but either way Maira the Charlie Sheen of Port politics 🙂 A 5 vote was lost with a recount looming.

    https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=696200024954859

    P.S, try to play nice people. To disseminate a smear campaign of sexual assault/pedophilia on a city pastor who was arrested but exonerated for political vote says why the Port is a failed city. Though you can say it’s fair game, in shady politics it is.

    From my understanding, I could be wrong, but it seemed he was exonerated/ charges dismissed. if these facts are standing it was a 23-year-old male and a 17-year-old male in question. In Florida age of consent is 18 with an age stipulation of 23. However, custodial power doesn’t apply. This is why I believe the now Rev. Gaston was charged with assault and battery on a custodial with without custodial charge no crime under Florida law was broken. Most likely he was exonerated because the 17-year-old in question was not under Gaston’s custodial power.

    At any rate, if that’s the shadiness you chose to play, so be it but at the very less limit the use of God and Biblical verse to raise yourself while you find boundaries to cut someone else down. You ain’t fooling anybody, will maybe voters but not God. JS I am out of here. Peace out

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJlN9jdQFSc

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    1. Hennessy AB count 262, Brown 140. Absentee ballots represent approximately 24 percent of Brown’s vote to Hennessy’s 45 percent. Hennessy, via Pereira, had no ground operation. She failed the candidate in that area and many others. Regarding Gaston-Bradley the absentee totals are relatively close in a senate district that’s thrice the size of a state rep seat. I’m still awaiting all the precinct breakdown totals in the senate district to assess more closely. Both the Gaston and Bradley camps thought they had a big lead with absentee ballots. That did not materialize.

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      1. Brown won the lawn sign Vote at Winthrop school is that the ground op your talking about?
        If only Lawn Signs can Vote Great job Maria no matter how this comes out!

        5+

      2. By extension, AB harvesting is a ground game, a deeper ground game than mail fliers, lawn signs, and door hangers. Which I am sure Maria would have provided with her AB game.
        http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/operatives-intensify-vote-search-in-brown-hennessy-gaston-bradley-legislative-races/

        Since the vote difference is 5 votes with a looming recount, with that assessment, we can say Brown had no AB game.

        That being said, I am sure, as I stated Caruso’s support for Hennessy’s was a loss to Hennessy’s camp, but as you stated He hadn’t had a Prime challenger since 2006. The establishment was behind him Hennessy’s entire career. Until now, where found himself at odds, his district carved up for Brown run, an insider. Not only did Hennessy gets his, primary challenger in 16 years or so, but he lost the endorsement and party backing.

        Caruso as treasures was not overcoming that base on a ground game. I mean what did my $1000 pencil hold to contribute to Hennessy camp/ground game in reality? 🤣

        Caruso had their name and backing recognized. There’s no doubt he wouldn’t have generated 3 votes to put Hennessy over the top if he stayed and openly supported him.

        However, all things considered, I can’t see Maria not being the Charlie Sheen in this election. 🙂

        http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/hennessy-brown-state-house-contest-a-study-in-contrasts/

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  4. Complaining about being on the “lopsided losing end” is one thing and losing due to voter fraud committed by a candidate and his accomplices as in the Defilippo/AJ Perez et al case is another!!
    But again- it’s Bridgeport. ‘King of corruption’ would be a better headline.
    Cheers!

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