Ganim’s Gomes-Bradley Balancing Act–Convention Time In The City, Followed By Primaries

Moore, Ganim, Looney, Duff, Gomes
State Senators Marilyn Moore and Ed Gomes, sandwich Joe Ganim and Senate leaders Marty Looney and Bob Duff.

Pols are maneuvering throughout the city. At least four among Bridgeport’s eight-member legislative delegation face August Democratic primaries. Thursday night at Testo’s Restaurant, the mothership of city politics owned by Democratic Town Chair Mario Testa, endorsements will take place for State House. Two incumbents Charlie Stallworth and Andre Baker have challengers.

Stallworth, Ganim event
State Rep. Charlie Stallworth supported Ganim and received a city job.

School board member Maria Pereira is in full campaign mode taking on Stallworth, a staffer of Mayor Joe Ganim, in Connecticut’s 126th State House District that covers portions of the Upper East Side and North End. Stallworth has the endorsement locked up but the nod from party regulars in recent years has been overrated. Many endorsed candidates have lost in primaries including incumbents. Stallworth, who’s never faced a strong challenge in the more than five years as the incumbent, cannot afford to take Pereira lightly, a fierce campaigner who will certainly call Stallworth’s voting record into question. Stallworth supporters will certainly challenge the maverick Pereira’s ability to maintain relationships where a premium is placed in the state legislature.

Pereira, belly dancer
Maria Pereira grooves with belly dancer at Augustana Homes during town committee campaign event. Will she dance all the way to state legislature?

Freshmen incumbent Andre Baker who represents the 124th Assembly that includes the East End and portion of the East Side is being challenged by multiple-mayoral candidate Charlie Coviello. Party insiders say Baker has a slight edge for the endorsement. Baker won the seat two years ago defeating party endorsed Ernie Newton who once occupied the seat.

In single-community legislative races challengers to endorsed candidates may primary by securing signatures from five percent of party voters in the district.

The other four State House incumbents Steve Stafstrom, Jack Hennessy, Ezequiel Santiago and Chris Rosario so far do not appear to have primary opposition.

McCarthy at Bass Pro
City Council President Tom McCarthy at Bass Pro opening last October.

On May 23rd at Testo’s, conventions will take place to endorse candidates in the 22nd and 23rd State Senate districts occupied by Marilyn Moore and Ed Gomes respectively. City Council President Tom McCarthy appears well positioned for the endorsement from convention delegates. Two years ago, without the endorsement, Moore upset three-term incumbent Anthony Musto in the city-suburban district covering all of Trumbull and portions of Bridgeport and Monroe. Moore will need 15 percent of support at the convention to qualify for the primary ballot. If she comes up short she can petition through signatures of party voters.

Ganim, Bradley
Dennis Bradley supported Ganim for mayor.

Gomes and school board chairman Dennis Bradley appear locked in a competitive battle for the endorsement. Either way a primary is on the horizon. The district covers about two thirds of Bridgeport and a piece of western Stratford.

The multi-town State Senate conventions will be run by the state party.

All the candidates are participating in Connecticut’s Citizens Election Program of publicly funded races.

Ganim has a delicate balancing act in some of the races, particularly the Gomes-Bradley battle. Bradley supported Ganim for mayor while Gomes backed Mary-Jane Foster. But Gomes’ work in the recent legislative session saved Ganim’s budget bacon, particularly the mayor’s request to restructure public safety pension obligations that deferred millions of dollars for the budget year starting July 1 that helped minimize a larger tax hit for some homeowners in a revaluation year.

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41 comments

  1. “But Gomes’ work in the recent legislative session saved Ganim’s budget bacon, particularly the mayor’s request to restructure public safety pension obligations that deferred millions of dollars for the budget year starting July 1 that helped minimize a larger tax hit for some homeowners in a revaluation year.”

    When we talk of State legislators or Congressional reps we are used to hearing the words “bringing home the bacon.” When Lennie writes about “budget bacon” he fails me. Bringing home the bacon to the district usually means a grant or project with local dollars attached from the State is incoming.
    The first thing to understand is the current budget is Finch’s budget, not Ganim’s. Joe was fighting for election last year when the City fiscal leaders put the blindfold on the Council decision makers. Why has Joe been willing to trade about $24 Million in decreased payments to the State for police pensions in the next six years in exchange for sticking the taxpaying public with $57 Million more from the seventh year out? Minimizing the tax hit for some homeowners in a revaluation year? Come on Lennie, does Redding need any bridges? We have several designs in Bridgeport starting with a pedestrian bridge that started in 2007 with a $730K price tag, but in the past year has grown to over $3 Million with the current design from the State. And then we also have bridges that can handle motor vehicles like the Congress Street Bridge that used to have a price tag to fix of about $30 Million. What would the inflation adjusted price be today? Time will tell.

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    1. Don’t lump D22 in with your question about Bridgeport. The district covers all of Trumbull and many are unhappy Sen. Moore challenging the sitting Senator from Trumbull and standing with the Trumbull Dems archenemy Tim Herbst at the polls.

      This isn’t about color in Trumbull. It’s about history going back years and performance.

      My comments are for info only, I have not committed my vote to either candidate yet.

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      1. Marshall, what is your assessment of Anthony Musto’s job performance when he was a state senator? As for Moore, was she standing next to Herbst or was Herbst standing next to her? And what does that have to do with her job performance? Isn’t it her job to represent all the people of the district?

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        1. Anthony Musto did a good job as State Senator. He brought back grants to all the towns in the district. He was responsive to the needs of all constituents, but fell victim to the overpowering Bridgeport vote in the primary. If anything, Senator Moore’s primary victory was an anti-suburb vote by the Bridgeport Dems.
          I know Anthony about seven years, I met Marilyn about three years ago. I am not a lifelong Trumbullite. I came here 10 years ago after more than 50 years in New Haven and Hamden. I know all about a one-party city with a Dem machine. The last R elected Mayor in New Haven was in 1951.
          As for Herbst, he welcomed Moore when she arrived at the polls and invited her to stand with him and be introduced to Trumbull voters. There is no secret Herbst can’t stand Musto and would do almost anything to see him lose a race or be publicly embarrassed. Moore fell into the trap, alienating Trumbull Democrats.
          Even so, after winning the primary, she was supported as the official D candidate. That doesn’t mean she endeared herself to Trumbull Dems and will have their support in the primary. I wasn’t around when Musto decided to run for Senator the first time. Both Moore and McCarthy wanted to challenge. Musto won the nomination and McCarthy fell in to support and work to elect the party nominee, Moore walked away from the race and did nothing publicly to get a D elected to the D22 seat.

          The D22 Senator’s job is to represent all the residents of the district. Moore is Bridgeport centric. Bridgeport has more than one State Senator, as does Monroe, BUT Trumbull only has the one. I’ve had lots of mailings from Moore the past two years, but can’t think of a single grant or program she brought home for Trumbull. They might exist, but they aren’t known. Musto got renovation money for the Trumbull Senior Center, unfortunately, Herbst sat on it for years and let the seniors suffer.
          Again, I’m not sold on McCarthy either. I don’t like the idea of being represented in the State Senate by the President of the Bridgeport City Council, but CT law allows holding both offices. I’ll make up my mind by the convention next week.

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          1. Marshall, are you talking about the same Anthony Musto who was one of only two state senators who voted to release the images of the slaughtered Sandy Hook kids? That Anthony Musto? The Anthony Musto who helped to kill a government reform bill to provide checks and balances in Bridgeport government? That Anthony Musto? Share one specific grant he initiated that helped his district. Not one others initiated and he lent his name but one he authored in six years. Anthony got slaughtered in Bridgeport not because of an “anti-suburb vote” but because in six years representing Bridgeport he had a flaccid record. One thing is for sure, Tom McCarthy is a stronger retail campaigner than Musto who hadn’t a clue and was completely tone deaf to the urging of his constituency.

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          2. We all know how Marshall (Law) Marcus is going to vote. Where have you been the last six years we’ve been discussing Musto? If you’ve known Musto for seven years, tell him I’m still waiting for his explanation of Solar Change, where are the 31 jobs? What happened to the $300,000? There’s a rumor going around Trumbull Marshall Law is in effect. Every store in Trumbull will be selling half gallons of Marcus Milk brand with a picture of Tom McCarthy with the word VOTE below. A trivial note on Marcus Milk brand: Marcus Milk does not come in any flavors, especially chocolate.

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          3. *** Musto was a political flop, a puppet without a clue, interested only in himself and financial well being. If you like Musto over Moore then you’re in political denial! He was terrible as a State Senate representative regardless of whatever district he served over. You may like him better maybe because of profiling issues rather than real political do’s and don’ts as well! Why, because if you’ve done your political research on him, you would understand where I’m coming from. In layman’s terms, he’s politically useless! *** WHOOP ***

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      2. That is not what happened. What happened is Moore, Herbst, Musto, and Another candidate were all standing together chatting at the polls. Anthony Musto then tried to get a photo of Moore and Herbst in the same frame. Moore said no thank you Senator, and moved out of it.

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          1. Yes, Mr. Marcus. I would not make this claim based on hearsay. That is exactly what happened.

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    2. Yeah, it’s you. It really doesn’t make sense to send someone back to the state representative seat when according to their attendance record would rather not be there in the first place. If you had a job where you were absent 60% of the time, would you still have that job?

      I’m hopeful Gomes and Moore will retain their seats. If Gomes does lose we’ll have the first Arab-American representing Bridgeport in the state’s upper chamber.

      By the way there are no Congressional leaders in Connecticut who are black. Jim Himes looks like a white guy to me.

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  2. Quack-quack-quack. Virtually every individual campaigning for public office presents him or herself as the Marvel Comics Universe alternative to the incumbent or opponent. Trump, Hillary, Bernie and the also-rans have been doing the same thing.

    It isn’t about color, it’s about money and who’s willing and able to bend over and grab their ankles for the men behind the curtain.

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    1. Kid, it is about race when you see every black State Senator or State Rep is being challenged by someone white or not African American and not one white or Latino State Rep is being challenged. This is a slap in the face of 35% of the residents of Bridgeport who happen to be black and a damned shame considering it was that same 35% that not only welcomed Joe Ganim back into the fold, but made it their life’s work to get his punk ass elected again.

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      1. Donald Day, I do not think any candidate or those voting look at it as a getting the blacks out of politics and replacing them with whites. I think Tom McCarthy and Maria Pereira have a genuine desire to serve the entire community and not represent white America. They may feel Moore or Stallworth have not served their constituents as well as they could. We will see. I am glad I get to vote at the DTC. I get to choose between Marilyn Moore and Tom McCarthy. I got my Dear Constituent letter from Marilyn Moore and I got a message from Tom McCarthy telling me he was officially running on my cell phone. It should be exciting in Bridgeport and Trumbull and I am sure race has nothing to do with it. I just sent my paperwork to become a member of the NAACP. I wonder who they will endorse. As for the other bloggers, it is Hillary Clinton for me. I’d support Bernie if he became the nominee, however I do not see that happening anyway. Most of my Sanders supporters friends are back on with Clinton–they get it.

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        1. Steve, c’mon man, why is Hillary Clinton ahead in delegates (not counting super delegates) over Bernie Sanders? Hillary is targeting black voters and she is winning by 90% to 10% with Sanders. Now, could a black candidate count on 90% of white votes anywhere in America? Hell no. Do you see black candidates here in Bridgeport challenging white incumbent candidates? Hell no.

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          1. Steve, yes that’s true but why did she challenge him? While Ed Gomes was in the hospital Musto along with others cut up Gomes’ district to benefit Musto, what a coward.

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          2. Good point, Ron. Hartford carved up the district while Gomes was in the hospital to benefit Musto in a general election. In a nifty twist of political justice the Wilbur Cross precinct designed to protect Musto in a general was his undoing in the primary. Moore crushed him there 330 to 40.

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        2. Steve,
          Happy to hear you are joining the local Bridgeport chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Inc. The monthly meeting is held on the fourth Thursday of each month, usually in a Bridgeport Library, in this case, May 28, 2016. Working on web development and the first edition of a local Newsletter.

          One observation is the NAACP does not itself endorse local, State, or Federal candidates for office although it works in various ways to encourage citizens to be registered and informed and voters to use the ballot at each opportunity with get out the vote campaigns. Obviously there is room in Bridgeport for more participation in party politics as you indicate, and local parties in dealing with local priority issues are often far away from the philosophical bent of national party perspectives. Time will tell.

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          1. John, I have been calling Ganim’s office and the Minority Business office to get hold of the NAACP. I need a few more applications. Do you have a number and/or where may I pick some up?

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  3. Mostly true, Kid–but Bernie’s campaign has been sustained by small contributions from ordinary people. That’s a documented fact. Bernie is the real deal. Hopefully Democratic supporters of Hillary will find their brains before the Democratic convention and will switch to the candidate who can beat Trump and deliver real, positive change to the American people.

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  4. The possibility of political surprises at Thursday’s convention is high. Things will probably present as a “déjà vu” encore to last summer’s mayoral nominating convention.

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  5. Jeff, Bernie? Real Change? He’s a failed communist.
    He didn’t have his first job until he was 40 and that was a government job. He’s accomplished absolutely nothing in his 30+ years in congress. His policies of rainbows and unicorns and free stuff for everyone is nothing but failed ideology. He’s the prince of mediocre and low expectations. We only have to look at Venezuela to see how Bernie’s ideology works. He’s done nothing, he’s created nothing, his policies if implemented would add another $20 trillion to the debt and drive what remaining industries out of this country. Who’s going to pay for this free stuff? And don’t give the BS of “rich people.” What gives you, me or anybody else the right to steal what someone else has earned? The FACT is 4% of the population pay 96% of the taxes. And if you don’t like the tax code then fight to change it. We have over 100+ years of history that shows us the failings of socialist/Marxist/communist policies. All that gets us is a country of the royals and the serfs. I don’t understand why you progressive liberals want big government to control every aspect of your lives.
    I bet you can’t name one thing you did in your life today that is not controlled by the government.
    If you don’t like it here I’m sure Venezuela will take you. Just make sure you bring your own toilet paper!

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  6. Quentin: I love my country but want change in my government and will work and vote for it. But in this context, I must state it is against my policy to respond to ill-considered, antagonistic posts composed by obsequious souls who feel beholden to the anti-American world plutocracy. Generally speaking, you really don’t know what you’re talking about anyway. You have spoken as a person with little knowledge of the modern world in regard to economics, sociology, or politics. The Founding Fathers would be absolutely disgusted by your post. I would be truly offended by your post, but I realize you truly don’t know any better.

    This has been more of a response than you deserve, but I feel the content of your post needs to be put in its place. (You would have made a great Tory in 1776.)

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  7. Joel Gonzalez,
    You don’t know me, I don’t know you. If I say I haven’t made up my mind how I’ll vote there is no way you have a crystal ball giving the answer.
    I have seen Tom McCarthy in person exactly once, when he addressed the TDTC and wasn’t introduced to him. I received one phone call from him after he announced his candidacy. I’ve met Sen. Moore about a half dozen times in the past two years and she also called once after Tom announced.
    I am not an elected or appointed official in Trumbull so have no control all over town. I don’t drink milk and am not related to the dairy in Danbury. Your feeble attempt at humor is a joke in itself.
    I owe no allegiance to any party machine and will cast my vote after digesting the facts and history of each candidate and how they would best serve the residents of Trumbull, and the state as a whole.

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    1. I’m sitting in dim light in my wife’s hospital room at St. V’s and while using this blog as a distraction from what is truly personally important, the election is far from my highest priority right now.

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        1. Thanks to all my friends, known and unknown by me, with assorted political views who have come forward to offer support and prayers at this very trying time. I have had contacts from both Sen. Moore and Chairman McCarthy and as soon as I cut them short explaining Mrs. Marcus was in the ICU it became “forget about the race, what can we do for you?” My fellow townspeople from across the aisle have also showed much emotional support and offered any and every kind of assistance.
          I don’t hide the fact we are Jewish, but there are prayers being offered in synagogues, churches and mosques for my wife’s physical health and my family’s emotional well being from Greenwich to New Haven and points north and south. I have always said the most important thing in politics is to know when to turn off the vitriol and offer love and assistance to the other side when it is needed. I am having my faith in the goodness of my fellow man reinforced every hour and I thank all of you.

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  8. Quentin, you just like to write stuff in hopes someone will believe your garbage. According to the Tax Foundation the top 1 percent paid 19.05 percent of taxes in 1980 and now pay 35.06 percent of taxes. That’s a far cry from the 96% you say they paid and what is the reference you used to justify that statement?

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