Moore Qualifies For Primary Against Ganim–Book, Francis Force GOP Mayoral Primary To Face Rodriguez

The ticket: Alma Maya for city clerk, Chris Caruso for town clerk, Marilyn Moore for mayor.

State Senator Marilyn Moore on Tuesday was notified by elections officials that she has petitioned successfully onto the September 10 Democratic primary ballot setting the stage for a battle against incumbent Joe Ganim.

Moore needed verified signatures from five percent of Democratic electors in Bridgeport. Wednesday is the deadline for the Registrar’s Office to complete signature reviews of primary applicants.

Absentee ballots will become available August 20, a vote that could weigh heavily in various primary outcomes.

Two-time mayoral candidate Chris Caruso is running for town clerk and former Town Clerk Alma Maya for city clerk on Moore’s ticket. Amina Brown, Dasha Spell and Eric Stewart-Alicea are running for Board of Education on Moore’s slate. Jacqueline Richardson, Ernest Brown and Wes Matthews are candidates for city sheriff.

Three Republicans on September 10 will also face off in a primary for mayor. Ethan Book and Dishon Francis both forced primaries against party-endorsed John Rodriguez.

News release from Marilyn Moore:

Senator Marilyn Moore has officially qualified to participate in the Bridgeport mayoral Democratic primary. Following the submission of more than 3,900 signatures, the Registrar of Voters has deemed her eligible to be on the ballot on September 10.

Senator Marilyn Moore, candidate for Mayor of Bridgeport:
“Bridgeport needs a mayor who has a vision for the future. We need new leadership that has a plan to make our city live up to its full potential; an open, welcoming, vibrant community willing to embrace new projects, new ideas, and new challenges.

“For the past few weeks, I have talked with hundreds of voters all over Bridgeport. There is a clear and growing belief that the city needs a new administration that is willing to move Bridgeport forward with a city government that serves all residents, not just those who are well-connected with this administration. Voters are tired of pay-to-play, incompetent managers, neglected public services, and a self-serving administration more worried about their friends than the well-being of the city.

“The thousands of signatures we collected to petition our place on the ballot demonstrate that voters want to move Bridgeport forward. I have been humbled by the support of our city and the hard work of dozens of volunteers that believe we can bring the change that Bridgeport needs.

“I am running for Mayor because I want Bridgeport to be a place for everyone, where every worker has the opportunity to prosper and thrive. I want a city where every child has access to a quality education in their neighborhood. I want a city where all residents feel safe and welcome. Bridgeport can do better. We can do better. Now it is the time to fight for a city we can be proud of. That starts with the September 10 primary election.”

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71 comments

  1. Here’s what the wise men told me: On September 10, Ganim can lose but he cannot win. Marilyn Moore can win but cannot lose (gulp) because of her WFP electoral slot. She lives in her comfort zone and only agreed to tun after several conditions were met. She can be found poolside, sipping a soft drink.
    Ganim is a rugged individual who thrives on heat and pressure. That’s how diamonds are made.

    Congratulations to Dishon Francis and Ethan Book, whose stars are just starting to shine.

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  2. Local, its another one of your “fortune cookie” offerings. Have to crack it open. See if the saying has any meaning other than to the one who wrote it.
    I suggest that the heat and pressure that form diamonds are not the powers that cause Ganim2 to thrive. Can he stand up to questions about his denials of corrupt behavior today. Did he ask the public to forgive, or essentially to forget because he was sorry? As a “returning citizen” one of many here in Bridgeport, what does he have to show other “returning citizens” who spent harder time, longer years, and were perhaps the victims of a different judicial temperament as Michele Alexander tells in The New Jim Crow? Did I hear how he mentored other incarcerated behind bars? How about mentoring and support for the types of schools we have in Bridgeport? Did he make such observations behind bars and vow to make changes if he got the chance?
    And he did get his chance, didn’t he? Who else benefited? Folks who returned to the City as refugees from the school to prison pipeline?? Who are the administrative stars on his team? Name them and claim their contribution or shame them for taking up place where productivity was required and only checks got cashed. Will we get more with Moore? Time will tell.

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  3. And yes, a nod to Book and Francis as challengers to Rodrigues in a Republican primary The more ferment, the likelihood of greater interest in the ultimate election. Facts will get kicked up. Maybe there will be debates on real opportunities, issues, and an opportunity to assess our city strengths and weaknesses (fiscally we qualify for MARB status in Hartford). What does that portend for putting new bonds into the marketplace? Time will tell.

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  4. JML stop crawling on your stomach like a reptile, straighten your back and stand up when you insult local eyes.
    Marilyn Moore has already agreed to Hartford’s bailout, will she demand the same for Bridgeport? My fortune cookie says it pays to borrow but debt diets prevent that from happening, right?
    If I were giving Ganim advice, I’d use some cowboy jargon and “head her off at the pass” meaning I’d fight and win the Battle of the Congress Street Bridge today and worry about the casualties tomorrow!

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    1. Local, I have not seen you “locally” in a while, so your comments regarding “stop crawling on your stomach like a reptile” are witness to your suffering eyesight. Actually I have identified with a member of the reptile world for more than 50 years. There is an upright turtle on my business card, remember? The turtle may move to slowly for some, but in the legend, he succeeded in finishing before the rabbit, didn’t he?
      What part of my commentaries appear “crawling” in your dim view? Actually, the turtle must stick its neck out to get ahead, as the saying goes. And turtles, whether aquatic or land species, also carry a shell of protection, into which they draw when seriously threatened. Would that citizens had such protection from elected representatives who perform vigilant oversight and then vote their civic courage to hold responsible those who have gone astray. Public consequences are one of the few things going for the average citizen who pays little or no attention to municipal governance, who does not become informed and use their vote at election time, and then complain about how discouraging news has become. Our biggest city sin is public ignorance! Time will tell.

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      1. JML half of my ancestors were turtles-that’s where I got my “hard shell”. The amphibious skills were helpful too. Turtles are natural born risk takers. Dinosaur turtles were the size of washing machines and bumped themserlves into the future by outliving other species.
        The other half of my ancestors were vikings. Hagar is a distant cousin.

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  5. To all of the petitioners, I congratulate you for a job well done.
    Breaks over. Time to knock on doors, get those AB’s, take notes on Wanda and Lydia and go, fight, win!!!

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  6. I was just thinking about how Marilyn Moore’s citywide slate is entirely Black, except Chris Caruso is the token White and Alma Maya is the token Hispanic.

    It’s funny how things can be portrayed as change, but in the end it is really just more of the same.

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    1. I think that’s a great change when you consider the past tickets in past Democratic primaries and general election where in was in total reverse where was a token black and Hispanic.

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      1. Ron, that was my point.

        For decades the Democrats would have all White slates with a token Hispanic or Black.

        Today Moore’s citywide slate is all Black with a token Hispanic and a token White.

        What people refer to as “change” is actually the same “philosophy” with just a different racial make-up.

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        1. Maria, no that’s not the way blacks look at it, white political candidates would come into our didyrictd and churches telling us what wonderful things that they will do I’m our community and then they get into office like Joe Ganim and do absolutely nothing. With Marilyn Moore Bridgeport will see a mayor keep her word and not pimp black ministers like Joe Ganim does and then kick them to the curb like he did to Rev. Stallworth after Stallworth gave Ganim a true second chance.

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          1. Ron,

            Stallworth is working on cutting a deal with Mayor Ganim will give him the vacant lot next to his church and in turn Stallworth is going to support Mayor Ganim.

            Stallworth is in bo way a victim. He is part of the problem.

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          2. Exactly Ron that is not the way black folks look at it at all!! Maria comment was very offensive and uncalled for.

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    2. Maria, who is sitting at Moore’s table of volunteers? It looks to me like the United Nations, in contrast with your assessment of the moment. Of course, primaries and elections and the huge amount of unpaid citizen support is what makes a difference, whether we are talking about the $250 Million BOE budget or the City operating budget, etc. Were you keeping track of all the people who gathered around Ganim2 when he was elected in 2015 with best ideas for City improvement? Where has Ganim2 provided evidence of listening with annual accountability? These were citizen comments to benefit all city residents. Were they ignored? Where does skin color matter when mutual respect, listening and appreciation are present? Caruso and Maya to my eyes are folks who have held a higher vision of where Bridgeport could become when all work together. Perhaps others will see history and relationships help put momentum in action? Time will tell.

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    3. Maria
      This post leaves me totally speechless.
      Has Ganim run a slate of candidates that is totally white except the top of the ticket? NO. So what does this mean?

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    4. Maria
      This post leaves me totally speechless.
      Has Ganim run a slate of candidates that is totally white except the top of the ticket? NO. So what does this mean? I don’t follow you logic.

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    5. I believe that Marilyn Moore selected a slate based on competence not political level set.
      She also had to weigh the selection to those people how have the courage to stand up to Ganim and the DTC.
      I thInk her slate help her win AND serve the city well.

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      1. Does this mean you are supporting GANIM for mayor?
        The chronic underfunder of the Board of Ed.
        Now that you have decided to run for the City Council are you seeing the wisdom(???) of not funding BPS so that you too could give a magnanimous .3 mill rate cut?
        Or is it a Republican?

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        1. Bob,

          Do you really believe I am out asking voters to vote for Joe Ganim?

          I am not asking voters to vote for either Joe Ganim or Marilyn Moore. No one on my team in the 138th District is. This is not our focus.

          I have had voters ask me about the mayoral candidates and I answer their questions accurately. I am not endorsing ANY candidates other than myself and Samia.

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  7. Just because I’m the only one here with a Bridgeport-themed website doesn’t mean I can determine election results, but it’s nice knowing some recognize the magnitude of my electoral power. Frank Gyure, are you out there?

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    1. LE,
      1) Isn’t Only In Bridgeport a “Bridgeport-themed website”?
      2) Commenting on “the magnitude of my electoral power” places you on a similar platform to Ganim2, Trump, McConnell and others who feel that saying something outrageous, absent evidence in support, is enough. Bravado or narcissism, or someplace in the middle?
      3) Objectively, share your “outsider” “non-Bridgeport voter” perspective on MARB and its appropriateness for citizens of Bridgeport?
      Time will tell.

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      1. JML,
        1.) OIB is not a Bridgeport-themed site because its focus is singular and its purpose is to enrich its owner. It covers many subjects and implicitly seeks out of town readers.
        Mine is a curated Bridgeport love letter written by me! I generate my own momentum!
        2.) You misinterpret my intentions, words and journalistic posture.. Recognize </strike) Exaggerate
        3.) MARB should be a national blueprint designed to reduce fixed costs! Retroactive oversight would/should be another name for it. What's good for Bridgeport is good for me.

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  8. I think Maria has never been to Senator Moore’s campaign quarters because if she had she would have seen rainbow coalition of people of every ethnic background. I see she missed the day that Senator Moore publically announced her run because Black’s made up a very small part of those in attendance. Sometimes interjecting race into the conversation is justified and other times it’s just plain bullshit, Maria, bullshit, because it was meant to inflame.

    Her disdain for Marilyn Moore is personal and like Mackey, we know exactly what it is, which I am not going to expound on. I very seldom agree with donj, but so what if they were all Black that’s not wrong, immoral or unjust. It was justike her bigoted response to Karen Jackson being evicted as being a campaign issue rather than empathy on someone falling on hard times. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, “Maria is like a good meal served on a garbage can top, NOT VERY APPETIZING! Maria you are a disgrace!

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    1. Day, you inject race, in almost every post. I didn’t hear you condemn Maria when she went after Chris Taylor for his living arrangement. In fact, you praised her for paying someone to deliver a cake while recording it. I find you find an all-Black ticket not wrong, immoral or unjust interesting. What about an all-white ticket? Do you find it to be wrong, immoral or unjust? Maria may or may not be a good meal served on a garbage can top, But you sprinkle racism on every meal. 🙂

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rXb8z5VYI4

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  9. I believe I have made it clear that I am not supporting either Mayor Ganim nor Marilyn Moore.

    I only discuss mayoral candidates when I am asked about them. I simply state the facts regarding who is running and factual information about them.

    I am not asking voters to vote for or against either candidate.

    I have not seen a single piece of Marilyn Moore literature or canvasser in the 138th District. I have seen Ganim literature and canvassers everywhere in the 138th District.

    My understanding is Ganim has turned in close to 1500 ABs. Marilyn Moore is going to be slaughtered in absentee ballots.

    That is just a simple reality.

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  10. Just one more thing. In 2015, I received more votes than Joe Ganim at Thomas Hooker School.

    Samia is a powerhouse in JFK and I have a large base of voters in Thomas Hooker. Marilyn Moore will benefit from both us because we are on Row B. Not the other way around.

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    1. Bob, I don’t understand why Maria saw the need to say anything especially after the way that Joe Ganim turned on her after he got into office and the under funding for education. Maria has now given voters in the 138th a reason not to vote for her because Moore can do more for the 138th than Maria can do as one member of the 20 City Council members.

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      1. Marilyn Moore is one of 36 state senators and has been complicit of the underfunding of the Bridgeport Public Schools.

        This year Bridgeport got about $2.4 million while Waterbury got $7.5 million from the state.

        When I asked Marilyn about it she said “Waterbury has to catch up.”

        I was like what???

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        1. Maria,
          What do the numbers for State funding of ECS and other dollars that have flowed to the larger cities look like for the past 20 or even 10 years? From your reporting over the years, we know that Hartford, especially, and then New Haven have been receiving more dollars annually in total then Bridgeport. Likely Waterbury’s situation may have reached beyond an Emergency Room status. What are the facts of the trend, rather than picking out one year and hanging it on one vote? How did the rest of Bridgeport’s elected State legislators vote on school funding? Help keep us informed with the big picture, if you see that as helpful to assist a state of woeful “public ignorance” on such issues, please. Of course you may only be posting to win a point or two? Time will tell.

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  11. To be clear I have not stated one negative thing about Marilyn.

    I can tell you the biggest challenge for Marilyn Moore is that the vast majority of 138th District voters don’t even know she is running. When I answer voters question and explain she is running most voters don’t know who she is, what she stands for, what is her platform, etc.

    It is not my responsibility to educate voters about Marilyn Moore or her slate. My responsibility is to educate voters about Samia and I and the incumbents record.

    Nothing more nothing else.

    In my opinion Marilyn Moore is going to lose. She will not lose because she couldn’t win. She will lose because of her lack of infrastructure, lack of a compelling message or platform, and I honestly believe she is going to be decimated on ABs.

    That is just MY opinion. Certainly, other OIB posters are entitled to theirs.

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    1. Maria, please, don’t piss on us and say it’s raining. Maria, you said, “to be clear I have not stated one negative thing about Marilyn,” Maria, that’s a lie, everything you wrote in this post is negative.

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      1. Posting factual information is just that, stating factual information.

        I don’t understand how posting the facts without any embellishment or name calling is negative.

        If stating factual information is negative then so be it

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    1. I loathe Joe Ganim as well. I am not supporting him in any fashion or asking voters to vote for him.

      I am simply focused on Samia’s and my City Council election.

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  12. I have to agree with Maria here.Marilyn has been running one of the most quietest,lackadaisical campaigns I can remember.I keep waiting for her to ramp it up a bit,but it doesn’t seem to be happening.

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  13. Jim why does everyone in Black Rock loathe Joe? The last time I checked the mill rate is the same for everybody.

    Day and donj still waiting for you to answer my question on your racist comment. I find you being offended by Maria’s comment on Moore’s all-black ticket with a token of white and Hispanic, Yet you call out racism if there’s an all-white ticket with a token of black and Hispanic. When you look in the mirror do you see the flip side of Trump? Considering you, Day, said black people will never vote for a Puerto Rican . Can People be offended by what you say? Or is it like the N-word only Blacks get to use it and not be called out for there racismJS

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  14. Wow…I just realized(looking at the Primary Qualifying list ) that there is a THREE WAY primary for City Council in the 138th district.Too bad the 130th could not get primaried. It’s going to be a ;title boring in Black Rock/West End.

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