Endorsed City Council Candidates Could Have Company

Lee, Toms
John Marshall Lee and attorney Tyisha Toms.

Challengers to Democratic-endorsed candidates for City Council have begun the petitioning process for the September 16 primary. They will need certified signatures from five percent of registered Dems in their respective districts to qualify for the ballot.

How the candidates match up is still a work in progress pending petitioning approval. August 12 is the deadline to submit signatures.

Endorsed candidates for City Council by district running on Mayor Bill Finch’s line:

130, Katie Bukovsky, Scott Burns; 131, Jack Banta, Denese Taylor-Moye; 132, Evette Brantley, John Olson; 133, Tom McCarthy, Jeanette Herron; 134, Michelle Lyons, AmyMarie Vizzo-Paniccia; 135, no endorsement; 136, Joe Casco, Alfredo Castillo; 137, Milta Feliciano, Aidee Nieves; 138, James Morton, Melanie Jackson; 139, James Holloway, Eneida Martinez-Walker.

No endorsement in the 135th District because incumbents Mary Lee and Richard Salter, supporters of Joe Ganim, rejected the top line to be on Ganim’s line. They will petition onto the ballot.

So far potential ballot qualifiers include 130th District John Marshall Lee and Tyisha Toms; 131, George Cruz; 132, incumbent Bob Halstead and former City Council President Lisa Parziale; 137, Teresa Davidson; 138, former city councilor Leticia Colon and Tyreke Bird.

Anthony Paoletto, a Ganim supporter who recently replaced his dad Richard Paoletto on the town committee, is also weighing a run for City Council in the Upper East Side 138th District as well as Nessah Smith. There’s some confusion in the district because incumbent Melanie Jackson has pondered rejecting the endorsement to run on Ganim’s line.

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26 comments

    1. John Marshall Lee, good luck. As for Tyisha Toms, not only is she an accomplished attorney, she is a very good friend of mine for some 20-ish years. She is an outstanding citizen and very involved. I am very proud of Tyisha and I know she really believes in the future of this city. Oh yeah, at every party I have ever attended with Tyisha, we always took center stage in debates on subjects from A-Z. I wish you both good luck as well as all of the candidates and thank you for caring enough about the city.

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  1. We need real watchdogs on the City Council who are representing us first and last, the citizens of our city.

    We need City Council reps who do not have a conflict of interest.

    We need City Council reps who follow the charter instead of ignoring it with cover from the current administration.

    We need bright, educated, independent, tenacious representatives who are not beholden to self-interested political forces who seek to sustain the status quo … because it works for them, to heck with all the rest of us.

    Tyisha and John are those watchdogs and thoughtful listeners, too.

    They want to hear from you at watchdogsbport@gmail.com.

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  2. John Marshall Lee is exactly what the City Council needs. Finally someone who can run rings around Tom Sherwood. Run JML, Run. Win JML, Win.

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  3. John Marshall Lee is the worst nightmare for the current administration in Bridgeport City Hall, a man who has the time, patience and intelligence to sift through all the budgetary proposals made by Bill Finch and his chief cook and bottle washer Adam “Pecker” Wood. Nothing will get past John Marshall Lee.

    I know nothing about Ms. Tyisha Toms other than she is a practicing attorney. I hope she’s as plugged in as JML. Time to shake up the established order of things here.

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  4. Let me start with OMG!!!
    Leticia Colon? This is who Maria is supporting for City Council over her handpicked candidates? A woman who voted to disband the BOE? Who then wanted to go back on the BOE? Who supported taking away the right to elect a BOE??? This is who Maria is supporting just to teach a lesson to James Morton and Melanie Jackson??? I repeat, OMG!!!
    Or is she supporting the son of the sexual predator?
    My God. This woman is crazy.

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    1. Bob, you should not be surprised. Maria P is half A BUBBLE OFF. She complained there were no women district leaders. She forgot in the 138th they fired Martha Santiago as the district leader. Leticia Colon is a loyal friend of Mitch Robles.

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    2. Just for the record, I do not communicate with Bob Walsh, therefore any of his postings regarding me are completely baseless. I am supporting Nessah Smith and Anthony Paoletto. Anthony Paoletto should be judged on his own merits, not based on what a relative has done.

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  5. To OIB readers and on behalf of both Tyisha and me, a sincere thank you for your good wishes. We met with more than half of the 130th DTC members, presented our biographies and answered questions. We believe we are the best team for City Council from the 130th this year. However in our final meeting, last Sunday, Dan Roach District Chair, as well as Campaign Manager for Joe Ganim stated “blood is thicker than water” when he told us his sister, Kathryn Bukovsky, is interested in running along with Scott Burns. I hope they will welcome debate and dialogue with us about the necessary duties and responsibilities of a Council person.
    OIB readers should note the endorsements for City Council leave only two holdovers for the Budget and Appropriations Committee (Bridgeport’s version of a Finance Committee) in the persons of Amy Vizzo-Paniccia and Denese Taylor-Moye. Gone from the current B&A group are Co-Chairs Sue Brannelly and Mike Marella along with Lydia Martinez, Trish Swain and Howard Austin. Voters may wish to look at experience and education of all candidates for the new City Council around financial issues. Or not. Time will tell.

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    1. I really like Katie Roach Bukovsky and Danny Roach. That being said, I like you too, and your years of attending city council meetings, studying the budget shows me you are dedicated, invested in making Bridgeport better, you understand the workings of city government. Mr. Ron Mackey is correct, get out there and knock down those doors!

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  6. JML,
    Get your ass of OIB and on the streets.
    You are not going to get elected by being the best blogger in B’port; that’s for sure.
    Knock on every door. Talk with all of the voters. Get to work.
    Time is running out already.

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      1. Lennie,
        As a semi-pro door knocker, in my prime I would knock on a door. If no answer, I would leave a personalized note on the lit I dropped and as I was walking to the next door I would call them on my cell to say I had dropped by. Not much time for OIB in that scenario.
        With JML, the personal note would be a four-page letter and it would get to 10 doors a night.

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