Just think, they have four more years together.
Republican Board of Education Chair John Weldon and incumbent Joe Sokolovic have captured the two remaining minority-party slots on the school board, according to the head moderator’s report.
Sokolovic, a critic of Weldon’s handling of school board issues, ran on the Working Families Party line. Elections officials finalized the count of absentee ballots on Wednesday and according to Joe-So he received a boost from the AB work of City Councilwoman Maria Pereira, former school board member.
From Joe-So:
“I would like to thank my family for their support, my recently deceased mom, brother and brother in-law for watching out for me from above while I campaigned as I mourned their loss. I would like to further thank the WFP and other groups that endorsed me, my donors and I’d like to give a special shout out to Maria Pereira who brought me a total of 401 votes in the 138th District. We don’t always see eye to eye but she’s the hardest working campaigner in the city.
Sokolovic came up short in the Republican primary for school board but the second bite from the WFP lands him another four-year term.
As for Pereira, her ultimate goal was knocking out Weldon. Weldon’s reelection is a loss for Pereira.
From Weldon:
I congratulate Erika, Christine, Michael and Joe on their respective electoral victories for the Bridgeport Board of Education. I am looking forward to working with them, and the other current Board members, as we move forward into the new term.
Come December the Board of Education will feature three newcomer Democrats, Erika Castillo, Michael Maccarone and Christine Baptiste-Perez.
The citywide turnout on Tuesday was woefully short of 10 percent in the off-cycle election. The next municipal election in 2023 is for the big prize–mayor.
See moderator’s report HeadModeratorsReturn-11022021 – 2021 November Municipal
Actually Maria’s ultimate goal was to defeat the two Republican males, especially John Weldon. Well, she got half her goal accomplished. It Joseph Sokolovic benefited from Maria’s efforts to defeat those two it proves politics yields strange results.
I spent Tuesday night at Tashua Knolls with the rest of the Trumbull Democrats celebrating Vicki Tesoro’s re-election. Former Bpt CC President Tim McCarthy was with us in a fine mood. Always enjoy his company and thrilled to have him working in Trumbull Town Hall. He deserved better than New Haven (this coming from a New Haven native who got the hell out). What’s worse than the Bpt DTC? The Yale run New Haven Dems who have held power since 1953
Pereira’s bucket boy spills the water again. Pereira didn’t get half her goal accomplished. She put that work in to take out Weldon. He was the prize for Pereira. It didn’t happen. The Working Families Party candidates were nothing more than vehicles to derail Weldon. She has said repeatedly she does not like Joe Sokolovic. Her enmity toward Weldon who pushed back on her childish outbursts on the school board just happens to be more. For Pereira personalities always transcend politics. Nothing selfless about her work ever. It’s all about Maria. Weldon’s reelection is a loss for Pereira.
Lennie, you got that right when you said, “For Pereira personalities always transcend politics. Nothing selfless about her work ever. It’s all about Maria. Weldon’s reelection is a loss for Pereira,” Maria has gotten some great advice from some very smart, strong and respected women but Maria’s selfishness and revenge against those she doesn’t like blinds anything that she might do that’s positive. It’s always about Maria, she needs to learn how to win friends and influence people.
While true Pereira and I do not have a friendship and her ultimate goal was to oust Weldon it goes to prove my point about listening to the message despite the messenger. While many find MP hard to bear not may find her wrong on a particular issue.
My fellow running mates and endorsees would do well to listen to Maria on the issues and set aside any personal feelings or distaste. Align yourselves and vote on each issue and idea. Never let the fact that you or somebody had their feelings hurt, or that somebody said something distasteful get in the way of doing what’s best for the city. Emotions should never get in the way of good governance.
Congratulations Joe-So! You showed that piece of s#*t Garrett that people are more likely to judge your past performance and ignore his lies. Also you probably have now surpassed me on Garrett’s list of most hated. It’s actually a list of the people that he fears most. Celebrate and enjoy the moment while Garrett and on his roving band of idiots lick their wounds. GO Joe-So
Thanks Mr. Mclaine. Would’ve been much better if I could’ve taken both seats. I am truly a Republican (with social consciousness) that is disgusted with how the RTC has been subjugated by the DTC. Unfortunately current leadership seems to have continued the same style of “leadership” under Garrett.
Party leadership should stop sitting on the floor at Testos hoping for a meatball to roll off the table, or begging for table scraps. We should be a true party opposition. It’s sad we came in after 3rd party candidates such as myself, and even finished behind write in candidates. We need to rebuild.
Joe-So, I admire your diplomacy, but please tell it to Pereira. Issues? Put feelings aside? When has she done that? She didn’t help you out of the goodness of her heart. She wanted Weldon’s pelt to tack on to her pelt door with all the others. Her vituperative venom knows nothing else. You and your running mates were simply stooges (you’re not), in her view, to weld Weldon to her door. She failed. She’d have been all over social media congratulating herself if he had lost. A key reason for her failure is her inability to build lasting coalitions because any slight disagreement or independence of her proclivities leads to social media savagery and a knock on the federal building door. All the anti-Ganim, anti-council comments on this site focus on the City Hall rubber stampers. Pereira has her own rubber stamp she hands to her short-lived alliances. The small print that they don’t see declares, Handle With Care. Translation: Your ass better vote the way I want or we’re done. And so it goes. Let’s see the first time her council partner Michele Small dares to be independent. Pereira is no different than any other politico who craves power, glory, influence. She just does it in her own attention-junkie, narcissistic way. It’s not about issues when it comes to her Joe-So, it’s all about personality. It’s all about Maria. And, by the way, Small bested her at the polls by a bit. Pereira’s percentage of the vote was less than many council incumbents. That’s gotta be eating away at her.
Don’t disagree with much you said, however one cannot change other people only how we react to them. Take away the personal attacks (of which I’ve been subjected to before and likely will again) and just look at the positions, can anybody state one policy issue or formal complaint filed that they disagree with?
Politics in Bridgeport require a thick skin, if you are hit by all means either hit back or take the high road. Either way separate that from good governance.
Maria Pereira FOR Mayor!
JOE
I usually don’t comment, but I just had to laugh at this one. I can’t believe you of all people didn’t see she used you for her own reasons. Yes you won a seat back on the Board of Education but guess what you are still in the minority. I guess you and Maria have a lot in common what’s in it for ME! Let’s see how long her relationship last with her partner. I understand She Thinks for her self and she won’t need Maria to think for Her. Lennie please give my regards to LOCAL EYES I once again was the TOP VOTE GETTER in my District Out Running MS Simmons Who was on Two Lines and the totals were 355 to 330 and I beat her on the Machines. LOL!
Joseph Sokolovic, here’s a little history about Maria Pereira, Maria worked hard to give Bridgeport Joe Ganim and Dennis Bradley. Joe, what Lennie and Ernie have post here on OIB true. Joe, remember this, fifty percent plus one is the name of the game in politics and Maria doesn’t have the ability to former anytype of coalition. Maria is good at doing research on a topic but she ruins everything by her personal assault on anybody who doesn’t follow her.
http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/pereira-bradley-walker-running-for-school-board/
“Pereira, Bradley, Walker Announce School Board Run At Ganim Event”
June 29, 2015 LennieGrimaldi City Politics, Education, News and Events76 Comments
Former school board member Maria Pereira, attorney Dennis Bradley and Greenwich music teacher Ben Walker announced Friday night at a fundraiser for Joe Ganim they will be Democratic candidates for the Board of Education.
http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/pereira-bradley-walker-running-for-school-board/