The Ballot Lineup To Replace Caruso

City Politics28 Comments

Okay, every petitioning candidate who submitted signatures has qualified to appear on the ballot for the special election to fill Chris Caruso’s seat in Connecticut’s 126th State Assembly district, according to Town Clerk Alma Maya. Here’s the ballot order.

Charlie Stallworth

James Keyser

Joe Giaquinto

Mark Trojanowski

Carlos Silva

Robert Keeley

Tom Lombard

Verna Kearney

The order is based on party endorsements and when petitioning candidates received the paperwork to seek signatures, not when they returned them. So now the ballot order is set and the Registrars Office can print paper ballots. Democratic Registrar Sandi Ayala says she will print 1 ballot for every registered voter, roughly 13,000. Stallworth, a Democrat, and Keyser, a Republican, appear on the top two lines by virtue of their respective party endorsements. This sets up a showdown from the top line right to the bottom line where Verna Kearney, a city police officer, is supported by a coalition that includes Caruso, State Senator Ed Gomes, City Councilman Bob “Troll” Walsh, former City Council President Lisa Parziale and veteran campaign operatives Marilyn Moore and Jeffrey Tisdale.

Rev. Stallworth, a member of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance that wields votes in the city, is supported by Democratic Town Chair Mario Testa and Mayor Bill Finch. The special election is Feb. 22. The district includes portions of the North End and Upper East Side. Several of the candidates will participate in the state’s public financing system in this tight campaign window. Does the ballot order matter? Probably not because just about every voter showing up that day will be dragged there and handed a palm card showing where the candidates appear on the line. But if you’re Stallworth, easy to say vote top line. If you’re Kearney, easy to say vote bottom line.

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28 comments

    1. You had a decent job that you were well suited for, that being Weights and Measures. Fabrizi knew that, but once he was out the Finch Admin took you out of it. Too bad. It was perfect for you. You are a good ethical guy … City of Bridgeport does not make good use of guys like you anymore. It is the nouveau thinking. Old, experience is bad. New, inexperienced is good and cheap.

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  5. Unless you are an ass kisser or a lemming/yesman/woman you don’t stand a chance with this adm. Shocks me these people are not Tea Partyers. Finch went wrong when he installed Adam Wood and Charles Carroll into his inner circle. Intimidation is their modus operandi, it overcomes their lack of any qualifications whatsoever.

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      1. Hector if you mean Adam Wood was part of the Fabrizi administration then you are wrong. Wood came with Finch not Fabrizi. Carroll came from the Fabrizi Admin.

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  7. If the city wishes to make up for its Election Day debacle and gain back some hard-fought ground, I would recommend outside, INDEPENDENT observers be brought in to monitor the absentee ballot process. I’m sure the Ballot Queens and Kings of the North End will grumble over this course of action, but there have been far too many instances of absentee ballot irregularities in Bridgeport elections to do without such impartial oversight.

    This way, all parties know that the election results will be FAIR and ACCURATE, and no party will have a right to complain that their candidate was “cheated” out of an election. This move makes perfect sense–unless those of you out there who are dishonest don’t want the oversight that would bar your underhanded, and often illegal, tactics.

    Pertinent Quote of the Day:

    Ronald Reagan, to Mikhail Gorbachev (concerning satellite overflight of supposedly deactivated nuclear missile launch sites): “Mr. Gorbachev, I trust you. But I also must verify. Trust, but verify …”

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  8. Politicians are like diapers. They should be changed often and for the same reason.
    Anyone endorsed by either party should be ignored.
    Anyone who has served before should be ignored.
    TIME FOR FRESH, UNTAINTED BLOOD!!! That would include someone who has served before.
    DON’T VOTE FOR KEELEY. He’s another fly and leech.

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  10. Wood helped run Fabrizi’s first campaign, that’s how he became so chummy with the chief secretary who yaks on the phone all day gossiping about whatever happens in the oval head office. Who turned on Fabs while he was in office? Carrol saw the writing on the wall and ran but Wood was a Fabs man in the beginning and is just another what’s-in-it-for-me politico. He said sayonara Fabs and hello to Finch the puppet. Wood learned it isn’t easy herding a man with the attention span of gnat and it is exhausting having to wave shiny things in front of his face to get his attention. They don’t get that you have to put in some service to be a public servant. If Wood had any opportunity to fly Finch’s coop he’d go, but nobody wants a pigeon from the Bird Brain office. Even Stafstrom knows Finch can’t govern his way to the Men’s room, but he “has” to do what he has to do (plus being bond counsel isn’t a bad gig). Don’t know much about Gomes, seems like a decent guy, but Mary-Jane Foster has name, game and do re mi. Maybe Gomes will get on board with her. The bottom line in the primary challenge will be money, although Finch out-spent Caruso 3 to 1 and Finch only won by about 150 votes (let’s hear it for the team of Wood and Tyrone). Truth be told most insiders know Foster is better than Finch, but Foster doesn’t seem like she is going to dance to their tune, so they wouldn’t put her up to bat. (Sorry for mixing metaphors.) Caruso will be a player here too, maybe he hits one out of the park by endorsing Foster. Stay tuned to OIB for the play-by-play. OIB will be getting more than its share of hits in the next 9 months, Lennie hope your server is up to snuff.

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  13. Question?

    I have nothing but respect for Mary-Jane Foster, that said—–

    What qualifies her to be mayor? Atleast John Gomes was in charge of city stat and knows the inner workings of running a city and all the players. Wouldn’t it be wise for Mary-Jane to reach out to Gomes ?

    As a taxpayer and voter I ask this question out of interest with no agenda as so many do have on here.

    I have watched my taxes skyrocket while unqualified people have run this city and we need a complete turnaround.
    The agenda should be the best qualified person not a popularity contest ( which Mary-Jane would win by a landslide )
    If she is the most qualified I would love to know why—- If it is Gomes then we should know why and the agendas put to bed.

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  15. I think the people of Bridgeport are missing a point here. A lot of finger pointing is taking place suggesting that the Adam Woods disaster is not Finch’s fault. ‘…in all fairness he was a carry over from johnny the Nose’s time.” Then we have an absolute mess in Charlie Carroll. He too, say the pundits, is not Finch’s fault…also a carry over from the Fabrizi administration.

    In Bridgeport, there is no such thing as an incumbent’s administration. There is no Ganim admin, Fabrizi admin, Finch admin. Let’s face facts. We have been RULED by the Mario Testa administration for far too long. He picks the candidates which are readily elected due to an apathetic voter base.

    Mary Jane Foster is exploring the possibility of running for mayor. That’s nice. Well educated. Well experienced in high level finance and labor issues. And she is successful. You won’t see her ever groveling at the steps of the wicked Timpanelli Empire looking for a no-show paycheck like Finch and Keeley did. She aspires to dance with her husband at her inaugural. That too is nice. But….we need to clarify any calamarian connection before we put our trust in her hands. We need to know who else she and her husband danced with as the Arena and Ball Park projects were developing.

    I’m writing her a check when it is appropriate to do so. I want, however, full and complete disclosure of my concerns.

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  16. If citywide bond councel is good, statewide bond councel is even better. It’s sorta like being a Master of the Universe (with powers limited to Connecticut).

    Here’s the gossip:

    Stafstrom has been patient while carving out a unigue piece of political turf. He’s put himself in the right place at the nice time. He’s an unelected-yet successful-politician. He’s produced victories for candidates he didn’t even endorse. He made Bridgeport the bullseye of Democratic strength. On election night 2010, he did the right thing without being told while surrounded by chaos.

    His term expires when his effectiveness disappears. Any sports fan would call that controlling your own destiny.

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  17. Half the battle is knowing the players inside city hall and who is a worker and knows their job, and who is a political hire not earning their paycheck.
    Cleaning up that mess will help the city get back on its feet.
    Also, which goes unmentioned here, someone who knows the BOE, and the players, and how to clean up that horrible mess. That is possibly the biggest tax drain/waste we have. I know a lot is state funded, but it affects the city budget.
    I do know Gomes has a vested interest in the BOE and attends all meetings, but does he know the players and the waste within? Did CitiStat encompass the BOE departments or just the city departments?

    Good questions for the proper time, maybe during a debate?

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  18. Yahooy labeled it perfectly, “The Mario Testa Administration.” Bridgeport needs free-thinking visionaries, not this group of suck-ups who do Mario’s bidding.

    Also I would like to address a very good point made by the 10th Mountaineer. Glasnost & Perestroika were the cornerstone of the American-Soviet negotiations. Clearly, the most powerful nations in the History of the world realized that although I would like to trust you—I Do Not.

    These and other issues were brought up by Tom Lombard at the public hearing held at City Hall Annex regarding the ballot shortage. I feel this is required viewing for every concerned voter. Go onto YouTube & search “Bridgeport Elections Panel#6”. He echoes the concerns of all the people. I attended this event and I realize that Tom Lombard is the only candidate who was concerned enough about our integrity to speak up. Where the hell were the other candidates???

    On Feb. 22, 2011
    VOTE FOR
    TOM LOMBARD

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  19. Now it’s getting interesting.

    Upcoming elections and announced or potential candidates with different backgrounds, different skills and different perspectives than those generally presented to Bridgeport voters.

    And these aren’t cookie-cutter candidates or pawns of the political machine. Gomes, Kearney and Foster (if she decides to run) should spark a debate about what it takes to represent, govern and manage the constituencies and challenges facing the city … and why they’re prepared to do it better than anyone else.

    One thing’s clear. The focus for these elections is about to shift from whom do we have as a politically correct candidate (mediocre or not); to a discussion about the experience and accomplishments of the candidate who can lead CHANGE and deliver RESULTS.

    Let the due diligence begin.

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