The personal issues confronting Ricky DeJesus, the Democratic endorsed candidate for the February 24 special election, has transformed the course of the State Senate race. Some political operatives are rethinking their support of Dejesus. Where do they land? Or do they stick with DeJesus without enthusiasm for the task?
Former State Senator Ed Gomes, on the Working Families Party line, and school board member Ken Moales, as a petitioning candidate, are the most likely recipients of DeJesus’ support bleed. Charles Hare is also on the ballot as a petitioning candidate.
Moales’ campaign manager Kirk Wesley says his candidate, a city pastor, is building a grassroots coalition that includes support from members of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance. Wesley adds Moales would welcome DeJesus supporters in light of his back tax and child support issues.
Meanwhile political operatives of Mayor Bill Finch have created distance from DeJesus publicly. Nevertheless, they don’t want to go into a reelection cycle for the mayor with both Marilyn Moore and Gomes in the State Senate. Moore and Gomes are not Finch buds. For Finch, Moales might be getting better every day. Moales served as Finch’s campaign treasurer for his first two runs for mayor. Moales has had his own tax and foreclosure issues. He no longer serves as Finch’s campaign treasurer.
Under normal circumstances Dejesus’ candidacy would be finished, but winter special elections are not normal. Many experienced absentee ballot operatives are working for Dejesus. He could start special election day with a vote lead. What if there’s a snowstorm?
The Gomes political operation is trying to qualify him for the labor-intensive public grant under Connecticut’s Citizen Election Program of publicly funded races. Gomes has sturdy labor credentials as a retired organizer for United Steelworkers. Labor groups are stepping up for Gomes this weekend, including the Connecticut AFL-CIO, with a canvassing of the district in search of more than 2000 signatures required to qualify for a public grant of roughly $70,000.
Moales is also trying to qualify for public money. As the endorsed candidate, Dejesus does not need the signatures to receive public money.
If Rev. Moales gets the support of the IMA then Mayor Finch will support Rev. Moales because Finch will need the black vote to win his reelection but if Moales doesn’t win then Finch will be in big trouble with his reelection.
Ron Mackey, sometimes you make me laugh. If Finch supports Moales I will become Joe Ganim’s campaign manager. Moales is poison and he will not get the black vote with Moales. Bridgeport politics is really strange. See, you never know who is going to support whom until the last minute. Supporting Moales over GOMES? He may as well stick with DeJesus and let the cards fall where they may.
Steven Auerbach, you have no idea what the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance has done for candidates running for elected office. Finch can’t support DeJesus now and he can’t stand Ed Gomes. Moales has been a key part in Finch’s election and Finch needs the IMA in order to win and he has seen what happened when Joe Ganim spoke at their New Years day event. Steve, maybe you need to talk to George Bryant some more because your knowledge of the black community needs a little help.
Ron, no offense, you honestly just see the black community as sheep and puppets. I see them as thoughtful individuals who do TALK around their kitchen table. I think after Obama won the presidency first time around, the black community embraced their blackness with pride. With Moales, I don’t think so. I’m gonna agree with Maria Pereira on this one and I do think Moales is poison for Finch for every reason she posted and so many more.
BTW, I know you are being humorous, and G-d knows George Bryant and I used to really enjoy heated discussions, but other than George wearing the occasional African nation outerwear, he would not represent the majority of black people I associate with these days. Like yourself, he is part of a generational movement that sees life through different eyes and I am certain he is enjoying his retirement hundreds of miles away from Bridgeport.
Maybe God will give the IMA a subtle sign–such as Moales levitating and going into a BOE-meeting-type diatribe during his sermon on Sunday morning–and they’ll decide maybe a man cut from different cloth should be their candidate.
I think Mr. Wesley and Kenneth Moales are living in a fantasy world. “Wesley adds Moales would welcome DeJesus supporters in light of his back tax and child support issues.”
Well let’s run done your “issues,” Mr. Moales:
1) You are facing an $8 million dollar foreclosure on your church and all your church properties, which includes the residence you live in and all the belongings within the properties. Although your law firm, which also represents “Dr. Perry,” has filed every obstructionist motion in the book to slow down the foreclosure, it is still moving forward. Let’s remember you are also slated to be a member of Dr. Perry’s new charter school BOD, therefore it raises the question of who is paying the legal bills of this prestigious Hartford law firm.
2) You were illegally operating your church without a certificate of occupancy in violation of state law for over three years. Then Mayor Finch came to your rescue and you were miraculously issued a TCO within 72 hours of the CT Post story.
3) At the same time you were receiving delinquency and demand notices from your mortgage company, you began fraudulently billing the BBOE for daycare services/slots that you did not serve or provide. You did this while you were serving as Chair of the BBOE.
4) Once you were caught and the CSDE audited your billing practices and ruled you had to repay the $75,000 back to the BBOE, both you and Paul Vallas colluded to keep the information from your fellow BBOE members and the public at large.
5) You were caught driving your vehicle with a registration that had been expired for over a year and never appeared in court regarding the matter, therefore a warrant was issued for your arrest for your failure to appear in court and you had to turn yourself into the CT State Troopers in Bridgeport.
6) While serving as chair of the BBOE, you stated at a BBOE meeting “that as a father, if I were to have my children attend the BPS, I would be committing child abuse.”
7) You threatened Sauda Baraka in front of a CT Post reporter and she felt it necessary to file a report with the BPD.
8) In your capacity as either a BBOE member and/or chair you have made insulting and disparaging remarks about teachers, parents and fellow BBOE members including asking me “if I was special needs or on Ritalin,” if I rode the “short bus,” and you repeatedly yelled “get a job.” You repeatedly called Bobby Simmons a “clown.” You have called Sauda Baraka a “liar,” a “clown,” and announced your deceased father told you Ms. Baraka was a “liar,” called her “baby,” and at one meeting when she was wearing two braids and raised her hand to be recognized you responded by stating “what do you need, Tonto?”
You have plenty of your own baggage, and it definitely isn’t Louis Vuitton.
Maria, that was excellent!!!
Moales all the way!!! So he can have more luxury cars while Bridgeport starves! And people with anger problems are better in office because they know who to delegate.
We find strong disagreements among fellow Bridgeport residents. Fair enough.
But when you step back and focus in on what’s going on in this city’s governance, you realize there are those who truly are key contributors to what keeps Bridgeport down. And then there’s everyone else.
Junior Moales, from what I’ve seen, is truly part of what keeps Bridgeport down.
Ricky DeJesus, from all reports, is too.
If you’re wondering what I mean, then you’ve either arrived in Bridgeport in the past few hours or you’re part of the problem.
That anyone in this city could vote for either of those completely shameless embarrassments is a sad sign for our city. It’s a vote against Bridgeport’s future.
Never mind Ed Gomes is an honorable man with a long record of public service and integrity. That he must run now against such knuckleheads is damnable.
And what does our Mayor Finch have to say about this? Anything? What are his leadership actions in light of this? What’s his Twitter feed say?
The Finchster wants us to ban public corruption felons who might be angling to run against HIM; but for this state senate race, hey, evidently he would like our city to send a tax-evading deadbeat dad or a deadbeat minister enemy of the city’s public schools to represent a large chunk of our city in the state senate.
Really? That’s what you learned having been a state senator, Mr. Finch?
To me, such cynical political calculation is far worse than Bush I appointing Quayle the Vice Presidential candidate. Just going to show how little the office is to the man who filled it for years.
Outside your insatiable puppet-master drive Mr. Finch, does your backing of Moales or DeJesus serve the public interest? What am I missing?
Do you ever ask yourself that question sir, while you ask how the absentee-ballot drive is shaping up? It’s a simple question: How does this serve the public interest? How does this serve the greater good? How is it being paid for or will be paid for?
In any surrounding town, your kind of leadership would have cost you your office already. Soccer moms would make sure of it. You’d be one and done. Finito.
But here in Bridgeport, here in Phineas’ shadow, you see it’s cause for the half-wits to believe in some selfish opportunity … the genius law firms, the climate change crusader utility companies, local political hacks and race-based rackets, all to praise and push the ego of the Finch.
Good God Finch, you or at least we the taxpayers will have to pay for this all some day. It’s not free–backing people like Moales and DeJesus. Don’t you see? It costs us dearly. Wake up, please wake up!
Pete Spain, once again very good, now I can’t wait for Steve Auerbach to tell you why you are wrong. This should be good.
Ron Mackey, I agree with Pete Spain. Moales keeps the City down. I do agree with his overall assessment. Ron, why would you think I wouldn’t?
Absolutely spot on, Pete.
Maria, thank you. Same to you–for your comments. Spot on.
Apparently, Americo Santiago has seen the light.
blog.ctnews.com/connecticutpostings/2015/01/30/latino-leader-wants-dejesus-out-will-back-gomes/
Steve, I agree with your post.
Well said, Pete and Maria.
Pete Spain, once again very good, your post is so good OIB top Mayor Finch’s cheerleader, Steve Auerbach, can’t say a word, that’s great.
Ron, I am never speechless as you know, but I must admit Pete’s post was most eloquent and thoughtful.
Steve, so you agree with the failures of Mayor Finch Pete has listed?
Well apparently much to your chagrin, I do not think Finch walks on water and to be honest, I do not believe the Mayor believes he walks on water, though I hear many bloggers do think he is full of himself. The Mayor most definitely has issues he must address and deal with. If he does not deal with them they become political footballs. I just haven’t heard of a better candidate who could replace him at this moment in Bridgeport’s history. I am just being honest. I thought Pete Spain’s post was very good and I hear Maria Pereira’s issues against Finch and I am not discounting them as unimportant. An unknown individual bankrolled by deep pockets could emerge as a candidate who could make Finch history. Right now, if people perceive the City as heading in the right direction then they will vote accordingly.