Mayor Joe Ganim, leveraging a wedge issue just days from the Democratic state convention, issued a statement on Wednesday echoing Connecticut NAACP President Scot Esdaile’s criticism of the ticket makeup. Ganim is trying to position himself a gubernatorial alternative to Ned Lamont who’s heading for the party endorsement this weekend with Susan Bysiewicz as his running mate. Meanwhile Eva Bermudez Zimmerman whom Lamont had considered as Connecticut Democrats’ first Hispanic statewide nominee as his running mate before picking Bysiewicz, announced Wednesday night she will seek the nomination for lieutenant governor Saturday, setting up a potentially chaotic floor fight.
Ganim statement:
Bridgeport Mayor and Democratic candidate for governor Joe Ganim today said he agreed with Connecticut NAACP President Scot Esdaile’s criticism of the Democratic Convention process in a story in today’s Hartford Courant and called state Democratic Party leaders dismissal of those claims “tone-deaf and very disappointing.”
“I’ve been talking for months about the lack of inclusion by party leadership and the need for greater diversity in this convention process. I believe our party needs to be more inclusive and more fully embrace communities of color that have been a bedrock of the Democratic Party,” said Ganim. “We need a ticket at the highest levels that reflects the rich diversity of our state. Throughout the delegate selection process, I have been troubled by the lack of outreach to communities of color. The critical Rules Committee, which has set the rules for this convention, has few members of color. We can and must do better.”
“Instead of dismissing the concerns of the state NAACP President, black elected officials and community leaders, state Democratic party leaders should seriously listen and address their concerns,” said Ganim.
More on this from Brian Lockhart, CT Post:
Another black elected official–state Senator Marilyn Moore of Bridgeport–said Wednesday that Lamont had asked her earlier this year if she was interested in being his running mate, and she declined. A source with the Lamont campaign confirmed Moore, who is a sometime critic of Ganim’s, was considered.
Moore said she was not disappointed with Lamont’s choice of Bysiewicz.
“I’m disappointed that he didn’t have a prior conversation with people who he should have acknowledged before (that announcement),” Moore said, like Winfield and Eva Bermudez Zimmerman of Newtown.
But Moore also saw the practicality of Lamont’s alliance with Bysiewicz: “He wants to win. By aligning himself and taking Susan out of the governor’s race it increases his opportunity. And nobody gets in a race to lose. Everybody gets in to win.”
As to whether Ganim’s criticism of Lamont and Bysiewicz will translate to minority votes, Moore said, “Joe’s a popular guy among people of color because he goes into the communities where they are. But being popular and people supporting you for governor, that’s two different things.”
Full story here.
WTF? Is JG2 now self identifying as a diverse minority person or am I missing something…
Jennifer, Happy Belated Mother’s Day to you. This is just for you, it’s off the topic but again it’s for you:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/who-paid-for-colts-tickets-to-game-pence-abruptly-left-disclosure-report-spills-beans/ar-AAxnnbY?ocid=spartanntp&ffid=gz
Thanks Ron. I saw that article- so disgusting. If (when) Trump goes down, pray he takes Pence with him.
Hope all is good with you and yours.
The Race Card–never leave home without it! WTF is going on with this race card bullshit? If anyone should be complaining about the lack of inclusion in the Democratic Party the Puerto Rican community should be front and center leading the charge. I hear plenty of people complaining about State Treasurer Denise Nappier not being replaced by a black candidate. Just last week, the Republican Party passed on Art Linares a Cuban American and State Senator who was seeking the nomination for State Treasurer. I noticed that the Hispanic community didn’t make a big stink out of it. The Connecticut Democratic Party could say shit about it either as who the hell are they to speak for Hispanics.
Here are a few poster questioning the numbers of black delegates on the Democratic Party. How many are Puerto Ricans, female or other? Ganim’s problem getting support from non black delegates have nothing to do with color and it never should be. If color is a major contributing factor, Joe Ganim should at least get %15 of delegate support as I don’t need to look up the racial make-up of the majority of delegates to know it’s as White as the Republican delegates.
by Paul Bass | May 17, 2018 9:19 am
The state senator, Gary Winfield, told the Independent that he has decided to drop his bid to become lieutenant governor. Instead, he said, he is endorsing Newtown labor organizer Eva Bermudez Zimmerman in her quest for the position.
Winfield and many other urban Democrats of color— as well as white Democrats — blasted frontrunning Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ned Lamont this week for choosing his former opponent Susan Bysiewicz as his running mate as lieutenant governor candidate. They said they had been led to believe that Lamont would pick a person of color as his running mate, since the Democrats have never had a black or Latino on the ticket before; both Lamont and Bysiewicz are white. Lamont promised to appoint many people of color to positions if elected.
Winfield NEVER mentioned the fact that a Latino has never been on the second spot. He only recognized black.
He’s supporting her and she can make it clear to everyone who she is.
“Instead of dismissing the concerns of the state NAACP President, black elected officials and community leaders, state Democratic party leaders should seriously listen and address their concerns,” said Ganim. What a joke, hey Joe, you need to seriously listen and address the concerns of the black community in your own city first. Black voters put you back in office and what have you done for the voters? Even the black female of New Haven mayor Toni Harp, didn’t endorse Joe Ganim.
Go Ron you’re right on. I can’t help enjoying the irony of two professional women, Toni and Susan, pulling one over on Joe. If you notice, with the exception of a few professional women employed in his Administration, he avoids savvy, smart women like the plague, I think his DNA has something to do with that.
Lisa, without a doubt Joe avoids savvy, smart women, I remember when he got rid of Roz Hamilton as the Health Director, Roz is the Health Director in New Haven.
Maybe the reason the Mayor avoids smart, savvy woman is because he doesn’t think you’re among their ranks.
But don’t diss his DNA.
Hay you stalker, go back to stalking and stop boring us with your attempt at sanity. Let’s hope you haven’t contributed to your DNA, women beware!
In time, her campaign remorse has transformed into Ganim angst. Now she’s an expert on the patronage job she never received.
A quick response to the stalker aka Local Eyes, I’ve had my real estate business for 23 years, do the math crazy eyes, why would I be interested in any job, let alone a patronage job.
He’s not a stalker, Lisa. Pickled yes, stalking no.
The Bridgeport DTC has the second largest delegation to the State Democratic convention. How many members of the BDTC are people of color? How many of the Delegates are people of color?
Before attacking others clean your own house!
I don’t know Marcus, how many of the Bridgeport delegates to the convention are people of color?
Almost everyone
Let me say this about the Bridgeport delegates to the convention, they are all locked in to vote for Joe Ganim no matter what, if they don’t tell will be a high price to pay for those who have City jobs and positions. When Mario will not allows them to vote for anybody unless he tells them. So they should enjoy the free liquor, food and parties Friday nite. They need to be ready for the boos and jeers they will get on the floor of the convention when Ganim’s name is mention.
Perfect time for Joe to trot out Rev Stallworth for picture ops as Joe goes around the state.That $2500 job “recruiting police candidates”Joe gave him a couple weeks,was just for this opportunity..
Harvey, trust me, bringing Rev. Stallworth around the state will not help Ganim.
Oh I know Stallworth won’t help him,but in Joe’s mind,it worked once,so try again!.He’s desperate.
So lets see who Joe picks for a running mate, before Saturday’s
Convention!
I would bet he has an African American in mind.
*** The “Dem. Party” State wide or Nationally Wide have had alot of nerve past & present, in assuming many negative things concerning the Republican Party in general. Like being blind, deaf & dumb towards many Trump actions & his admin. also family, friends & attorney’s, etc.. during the presidential election, after, & Trump’s 17 months so far in office. Actions that little by little, as paperwork is found that has been missing or lost, financial records that have been held up all this time, ex-employees of Trump coming forward, countless of W/H staff resigning or being fired, continuing re-counting of Trump & W/H stories on Stormy Daniels & her pay-off, meetings by election staff & Trump family members with Russians over info. on Hillary Clinton. And of course the real reasons for the dismissal of different White House staff & admin. and FBI director. Seventeen months of “foolish” interfering with all the work & promises that the “Great White Messiah”, the “Duke of N.Y”, “Business Con-man”, that will make America great again & bring back a Right-Wing Nationalist Way of life for all those poor forgotten American Souls that have been ignored by the Fed. Goverment. As JML would say & Fed. Investigator Muellor is thinking; “TIME WILL TELL”! ***
I am so pleased it keeps raining. Every day of rain puts Ganim’s petition drive in jeopardy.
It’s all over but the boos and jeering Joe Ganim will receive at the convention.