Just two years after he was serenaded for his public service following a Democratic primary loss, Ed Gomes returned to the State Senate on Friday following his mighty special election win running on the Working Families Party line to replace the man who defeated him, Andres Ayala, now the commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles.
At a swearing-in ceremony, Gomes was joined by Marilyn Moore, the other state senator representing Bridgeport.
Mark Pazniokas of the CT Mirror has more:
He was greeted by the Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate, who all praised him as a plainspoken voice of working-class voters.
“Ed Gomes has been that voice throughout his career,” said Senate President Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven.
“It’s great to see Ed back here, because he always brings that working person’s voice, the reality the Senate needs at some times,” said Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven.
“Senator, your nameplate will be here very soon,” said Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, “They are just dusting it off from the last time.”
Full story here.
Ed Gomes, you look absolutely wonderful! So many of us are so very happy for you. We know you to be a man of your word, and you have been nothing but honest and forthright. I am confident you will do great things for our district!
The CT Mirror article said:
“I’m not going to say a whole lot, but I want to tell you this: Ed Gomes has had a whole lot of good people do a lot of good things for him,” Gomes said after taking the oath. “And I intend to repay you.”
He was greeted by the Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate, who all praised him as a plainspoken voice of working-class voters.
Ed Gomes “Is The Real Deal,” I knew of Ed when I was a teenager because I played with his younger brother, Ed had already been in the military and was working at Carpenter Steel but I had never spoken to him. I had the chance to work with when I was a union executive board member at the Bridgeport Brass when we voted to have the Steelworkers Union as our union and Ed was our staff worker. I learn so much about negotiation, contracts, labor law and how to be honest in making a deal for workers. Whenever I’m in group of people with Ed I would say, “when I grow up I want to be just like Ed.” Ed would laugh and say, “boy, then you don’t want much in life.” I would say out of the respect I have for Ed and seeing and knowing how hard he cares and works for workers, “Ed Gomes Is The Real Deal.”
Ron, where are all the jobs and factories now? You can even go back 20 years for an answer.
Joel Gonzalez, great question. Along with PT Barnum, factories is what Bridgeport was famous for. You didn’t need a college degree, just have the desire to work hard. No matter who you were, the jobs were here in Bridgeport. Joel, when Ed Gomes and the Steelworkers union became the Bridgeport Brass union in 1978 the company closed due to foreign competition in 1980 when Ronald Reagan became president and unions knew then the Reagan administration was no friend. The Brass company like many other factories in this area could not retool and produce something different.
Ed’s return to the State Senate proves with hard work and determination we can turn a wrong into a right. And yes, even beat City Hall, oops I meant to say the Annex.
Or payback is a bitch. Or revenge is a meal best served cold.
I am pleased to have Ed Gomes in the Senate representing Bridgeport.
Some clarification. Bridgeport Brass closed in 1980 and Carpenter Steel soon after. Both shifted their work to non-unionized plants. Those facilities are likely closed now due to cheaper labor and utility cost in Korea and China. American industry is finding it difficult to compete in the global marketplace. Now unions are focused on government employees, contributing to making Connecticut too costly for commerce.
Let’s not forget two years ago as Ed lay in a hospital bed in intensive care, the powers that be redrew the state senate lines to make Musto stronger and Ed weaker. As a result Marilyn Moore defeated Musto and Ed is back in the senate.
Thank you Bill Finch, Nancy DiNardo and the Democratic leadership (?) in Hartford. This is more than Bridgeport could have hoped for and dreamed of.
Carpenter Steel had two steel plants here that were union and a larger plant that was in Reading PA and was non union. The Bridgeport plant went on strike, the company closed down the Bridgeport plant and moved the operation to their other plant.