When polls opened Tuesday morning for the special elections for State House and State Senate, the temperature was record-breaking low. Do not despair, temps will rise into the balmy low 20s, according to weather reports. The average high in Bridgeport this time of year is 41 degrees. The record high? 60, set in 2012. How does voting in Tahiti sound?
It’s not often we see political operatives in layered clothing three or four deep, scarved, hatted, grasping hand warmers. Shoot, for these elections there’s not even enough absentee ballots to keep warm. Actually, there are enough absentee ballots that could make a difference.
So what’s the turnout gonna be? Will it hit 10 percent?
Perhaps in the higher-turnout 129th State House District that has roughly 9300 eligible voters covering Black Rock, the West Side and portions of the North End and West End.
The candidates: Democrat Steve Stafstrom, Republican Enrique Torres, petitioning candidates Bob Keeley, Bob Halstead and Hector Diaz. Winner fills the vacancy of Auden Grogins, now on the state bench.
Connecticut’s 23rd Senate District has roughly 40,000 eligible voters, about 36,000 residing in Bridgeport with the rest in Stratford abutting Bridgeport’s East End.
The candidates: Democrat Ricky DeJesus, Republican Quentin Dreher, Working Families Party Ed Gomes and petitioning candidates Charles Hare and Ken Moales. Winner fills vacancy of Andres Ayala, the commissioner of the State Department of Motor Vehicles. Hmmm, will the commish be behind the wheel of a car tomorrow delivering voters to the polls?
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Don’t know where you vote or have questions? See here.
Altogether I have spent 17 hours on phones since Saturday calling Thomas Hooker voters. Only one person told me they were voting for Moales, not one person committed to Dejesus and the vast majority committed to Ed.
Many knew about DeJesus’ tax and child support issues. Those who knew Moales were completely opposed to him, but especially black voters. One THS parent told me she had two black women knock on her door on Friday and they asked her if she would be supporting Moales. The parent said “absolutely not.” They said “thank you” and walked away. She told me they didn’t even discuss why Moales should be elected and had no rebuttal when she said she would not vote for him.
I LOVE when canvassers like these two individuals are sent out on doors.
Maria P–you seem very dedicated and obviously work tirelessly for other candidates. I’m wondering why you don’t run for political office. Are you aspiring to do that in the near future?
In some countries the populace is willing to die, and do so, for the right get to the polls to vote. Too cold, too rainy, too hot, etc. sounds like lame excuses compared to those efforts.
Maria, I wish you had lived in my district, you’ve done an exemplary job. Elections can drive people semi-insane and if I have said or done anything that has offended you or any of those working on these campaigns it was not intended and I apologize. Good Luck, I wish you luck, and only ask you keep me in your prayers.
Yesterday afternoon our home phone received a recorded message that the SNOW EMERGENCY (or whatever the term was this time) was over. Wow. I could have looked out the window, seen the strong sunshine, the slushy snow melting on street and sidewalk, but we get SUPER SERVICE in Bridgeport, don’t we? Our elected leaders and those they employ want us to be safe and secure (and also keep our thoughts to ourselves while we pay taxes in a timely fashion).
So what expense to the City were the ALL CLEAR robo-calls on Sunday? Just asking. Anybody know? Anybody guess? The reason I ask is those calls might have truly been public service calls if they had also let citizens know: THERE IS A SPECIAL ELECTION IN TWO PARTS OF THE CITY ON TUESDAY FEBRUARY 24. Polls in many districts will be open from 6 AM until 8 PM. VOTERS WILL BE CHOOSING A SENATOR FOR THE EASTERN SECTIONS OF BRIDGEPORT, AND A STATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR MUCH OF THE WESTERN PARTS OF BRIDGEPORT. Our State delegation is important. Exercise that most important citizen right every chance you have. Vote Tuesday!
Now someone is going to object this is “political” but I will argue if couched in neutral terms as I suggest, or close to this, perhaps the public will become more attentive. And voter turnout might rise from 10% to “heaven knows” how high. And we might begin to understand what the community really thinks. Time will tell.
Tomorrow’s forecast for Bridgeport CT is for minus 3 degrees F at 6:00 AM. Bundle up!
I went down to City Hall and voted in person today since I have been called to meetings in DC tomorrow. Bob Halstead was there and I met his son who was also voting via AB. Bob and I discussed how the public financing system is stacked against petitioning candidates.
Lennie, I have a question. Is there available parking at St. Ann’s? Because with all this snow it is really hard to find a parking space around the city.
donj, if you drive behind the church there are usually open parking spaces.
Since tomorrow will indeed be a “cold day in hell,” maybe Bridgeporters will get a couple of unexpected, pleasant electoral surprises. (Maybe even news of investigations/resignations, at the state and city levels?)
But most probably Denise Merill will see her shadow.
Excellent post!
Update: Tonight Attorney Mooney from Shipman & Goodman was present for the 5:00 PM Special Meeting. The usual Ex$ell Bridgeport parents and paid charter school parents were also present.
Norm Pattis was also present and this discussion was held in public view. As the agenda item of “Discussion and Possible Action on DPAC Leadership” came up, Fran Rabinowitz distributed a six-page memorandum about the DPAC, Title I, BBOE Policies, etc. to each BBOE member and extras were distributed to the public. We obtained several copies. How do you distribute a six-page memorandum to the BBOE members as the item is being discussed?
The last page was a five-paragraph motion regarding continuing a DPAC, but removing the 10 member DPAC Executive Board in which nine members were elected to a two-year term by parents in a city-wide election in April 2013, and I was appointed to fulfill the remainder of a term due to a resignation. The term expires June 30, 2015 and the new elections were scheduled for April 30, 2015.
Andre Baker looked like an absolute fool. He made the motion and attempted to read the five paragraph into the record. He could not read and literally Norm Pattis was giggling while seated next to me. Moales seconded the motion. After about an hour of debate with Sauda Baraka and Howard Gardner making it clear that this was simply an attempt by certain BBOE members to remove the executive board because the majority of us have stood against Dave Hennessey, Joe Larcheveque, Hernan Illingworth, Kenneth Moales, Andre Baker and Kadisha Coates. Howard stated it was pure retaliation and politics at its worst.
The vote was 6-2 with Kelleher absent. Hennessey, Larcheveque, Moales, Coates, Baker and Illingworth voted in favor. Baraka and Gardner against.
Pattis leaned over to me and said “this is just another coup.” I told him I felt the same way and had posted it on OIB.
After the meeting adjourned, Linda Lambeck rushed over to Norm Pattis and asked him for a quote. He said “I look forward to having Andre Baker read something on the stand. Mayor Finch has bigger problems than Bridgeport’s children can’t read, he has a board member that can’t read.” It was hysterical!
Think about it, Kadisha Coates a charter school parent, Joe Larcheveque a charter school parent and Kenneth Moales who has no children in the public schools and will be serving on Dr. Perry’s Charter School Governing Council just voted to remove the entire DPAC Executive Board that has volunteered over 50,000 hours in the BPS. Non-BPS parents are attacking true BPS parents and interfering with the parent organization that has existed for 45 years without interference.
We should be in court by next week. 🙂
Harding High School today, Moales signs everywhere but voters for Gomes. Love the vote, Pastor Moales. HONEST to G-d, pastors have no place in Government–NO PLACE. Bullshit artists, all of them!!! Their audacity is beyond words and a huge joke. How does one serve a community and their congregation and sleep at night knowing they are full of shit?
Steven Auerbach, I disagree with you, one of the best congressmen was The Honorable Father Robert Drinan who was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts’ 3rd district. He spoke out on some very important issues America was dealing with during his term in office but the Pope had him step down.
Ron Mackey, you may disagree. The Pope had him step down? That bastard! You cannot be a man of the cloth and a politician Ron, unless of course you are a leader of a BULLSHIT church that takes advantage of the poor and ignorant. Separation of church and state. I sure as hell do not want a religious figure who does not represent my beliefs anywhere in power. The Pope was wise to have him step down. Pastor Moales is just one example of the pathetic position an ordained man plays trying to be a politician with money woes and on a power trip serving a poor, mostly uninformed community. Sad.
Ron Mackey, although you picked an extremely accomplished individual to revere, you have to also know as a Catholic Priest he was pro-abortion. He was accused of sexual harassment by Emily Yoffee and he should have never been in politics being a religious character.
Don’t hold back, Steve.