Mayor Bill Finch, riding the power of incumbency and a potent Democratic registration advantage, cruised to a second four-year term Tuesday defeating Republican challenger Rick Torres and petitioning candidate Jeff Kohut. Finch secured roughly 70 percent of the vote.
As expected the citywide turnout was pathetically low, irrespective of a beautiful day for voting. Unofficially, the turnout was challenged to hit 20 percent. General elections for mayor have become an afterthought in a city where Democratic primaries are the marquee event. Finch bested Mary-Jane Foster in a contentious primary pushed back by a Superior Court judge after Foster was denied ballot access in a petitioning drive controversy. The general election was largely a ho-hum affair with Finch opponents money-challenged to wage a meaningful charge.
Torres as the GOP candidate for mayor in 2003 ran a competitive race against Democratic Mayor John Fabrizi. This time, however, other than Torres’ home precinct Black Rock where he ran strong, was a different story. Unofficially Finch received roughly 8400 votes to Torres’ 3300. Kohut, the policy wonk, trailed far behind with about 400 votes. Finch ran up large margins across the city. Finch operatives ran a low-key reelection race, leveraging the power of incumbency to tell the mayor’s story for reelection.
The mayor has several issues to address as his new administration begins Dec. 1. How will the Connecticut Supreme Court rule on the state takeover of city schools? Discussion of a regional sewer authority with the town of Trumbull will be back on the table. The mayor and economic development officials are also working to make the Steel Point redevelopment area on the East Side a reality.
Polls closed at 8 p.m. Unofficial numbers (partial precincts):
Longfellow School, Finch 343, Torres 121
Black Rock, Finch 429, Torres 679
Winthrop, Finch 700, Torres 444
City Hall, Finch 192, Torres 31
Bassick, Finch 208, Torres 84
Central 132 District, Finch 415, Torres 293
Central 133 District, Finch 521, Torres 220
Blackham 133 District, Finch 229, Torres 69
Blackahm 134 District, Finch 373, Torres 189
Read, 135 District, Finch 229, Torres 52
Beardsley, Finch 168, Torres 57
Geraldine Johnson, Finch 88, Torres 28
Read, 136 District, Finch 105, Torres 38
Marin, Finch 342, Torres 100
JFK, Finch 448, Torres 106
Hooker, Finch 498, Torres 187
Congratulations to Mayor Bill Finch on an impressive victory and Michelle Lyons, AmyMarie Paniccia and Dennis Scinto. It was a gorgeous day to vote and the people of Bridgeport had made it clear, the handful of people who actually remembered today was election day. Working at Winthrop School today other than having a lot of laughs and being under the weather with a hell of a cold was meeting the Torres family. It was nice seeing them supportive of their dad Rick. Hopefully we can all come together for the good of the city. We are all in this together. Let’s not forget that. It was a riot seeing the electrical union there again as they were during the primary. I guess they got credit for just hanging out. I had a blast as I usually do sparring with everyone. So without giving away handles I finally met some Republicans on this blog. Thank you for being up front and honest. Best of luck to all the winners and all those who gave their time and effort in hopes of making Bridgeport a better place. On another note, I just saw the pics of the elections from the Connecticut Post. Mary-Jane Foster–you look terrific. The speech by Mayor Finch this evening was very positive and I do not believe he was being obsequious in his comments on Mary-Jane Foster, Rick Torres and Jeff Kohut. I am grateful to know all of them on some level and I agree with the Mayor. They all have helped him focus on what his next four years will be like. I have faith it will be an exciting four years. I am looking forward to lots of economic development and getting people back to work!
Pure horseshit.
Congratulations to Chris Caruso … the Big Wage! Nice job on Torres. Way to go! I’m sure Torres is still really happy about throwing away his political career to help you displace the machine, ahem, mean feed your face. Go buy yourself a nice Polo shirt at Marshalls … you deserve it for all the years of funeral trolling and bullshitting!
Steve, what makes you think the next four years are going to be any different than the last four years?
Faith. It goes a long way.
Congrats Mayor Finch.
donj–thanks for voting for Mr. Finch in Black Rock, he needed all the help he could get. I congratulate the Mayor’s victory. At the same time I must offer my condolences to Rick Torres and the taxpayers of BPT.
Well. I must say the low turnout is a result of low esteem on the part of the people. Esteem comes from a government that exemplifies participation by the people. This victory is classically not considered a mandate. If we had a government that truly was for ALL the people of the city it would advertise and encourage participation. A case in point; many people throughout the day did not know where to vote, this because the registrar of voters no longer sends out cards indicating poling locations, as they change from election to election in some areas of town. Personally, I am more of a gamer than this and I would be embarrassed if so few people cared enough to see me back in office. This is a sad state of democracy. If you think playing a low-key election is a win at all costs approach using the power of incumbency, then you are more concerned with the sport of elections than the open exchange of ideas in a free society.
Well put, Park City too. A lot of people feel the way you do. It is people such as you, intelligent, caring, who have kept Bridgeport up in spite of its politics. I also commend Rick and Jeff for having the courage to stand up. Don’t give up! It’s people like you who are the backbone of this City. Bridgeport is a good city that could be a great city.
Thank you Bridgeporteur.
I do have a plan of action … more of a course of action than a plan at this point. I will become a part of a local paper to start and do a small story on the voter registration issue I found out about during the election. Simply put, the registrar no longer sends simple post cards out to residents informing them of the election first, and where to vote second. Why was this practice discontinued? Then I will form a committee with satellite meetings in each area of town, with the aim to lift voter representation. Those of us who associate in these committees can then raise issues with the council, see and support potential candidates, etc. For all the railing against the machine, myself being one of those voices, it is still true the power of persuasion and change rests with the people. The bar is set extremely low, we can easily become a voice especially when it only takes a few thousand more people to make a difference in the city. There are many people with great insight into the process … including Lennie Grimaldi, who can move this right along. This is not an us versus them approach, but definitely a more of us approach. Let those who currently govern open themselves up to be more inclusive and less suppressive of the democratic process.
Ronin, yup I voted for Finch at Black Rock. I also voted for Slater and write-in Jim Fox.
Congrats to Mayor Finch on an astounding victory of 71% of the vote. G-d bless him and G-d bless Bridgeport. Looking forward to four more years!
‘… of the same.’
Some heavily Democratic precincts are being left out, that is Dunbar and and Wilbur Cross.
I don’t have any exact figures available, but Finch defeated Torres handily at both of those precincts as well.
Congratulations to all who had the courage to run whether you won or lost.
Our city is in deep trouble and I am commenting on the fact that people don’t vote. If you don’t vote then you can’t complain.
Congratulations to MCAT on her victory!
Money … Organization … Message. How could Kohut or Torres even think they are even remotely qualified to be Mayor when they both just flat out ignored the SCIENTIFIC LAW THAT GOVERNS CAMPAIGNS? I hope they stop running. When you spend more on a Segway than a ground team you’re gonna get CROAKED! How many IDs did Kohut have to get 250 votes? I’ll tell you how many … NADA!
There are only 2,800 people in Bridgeport with the right to complain … Don’t vote, don’t complain!
Congratulations to Bill Finch and the entire Democratic team.
I hope the issues of this election will result in more attention and respect to our struggling working-class citizens. Let’s all get behind the mayor for a better Bridgeport and pray for successes that will benefit us all.
Actually, there are 3195 people with the right to complain, taking into consideration those who voted for Gentleman Jeff. I myself am seriously considering exercising my right to move.
I stand corrected … 3195 in all of Bridgeport with the right to complain.
Thank you Jeff for standing up for your Bridgeport neighbors. With Much Gratitude, Willis in Bpt.
Zena Lu has rekindled my belief in gemocracy. If ZL wants to exercise his right to move, I will pack his bags, pay his fare and even wave goodbye along with the crowd who appreciate those who add value and disdain those who subtract it. Here’s the song the gathered masses will sing upon his departure:
www .youtube.com/watch?v=jsaTElBljOE
I am a WOMAN, Local Eyes. I may take you up on your generous offer too! Lord knows my tax bill is coming up.
You are, as always, sharp as a butter knife.
Your gender is under review. Thankfully, I am not involved with the investigation.
My gender is under review, how splendid! Let me know what the verdict is when the report comes in, and if it requires surgery. You are fun to dialog with, that’s for sure, so much to work with!
Park City too, I’m in total agreement with you, you said, “I would be embarrassed if so few people cared enough to see me back in office. This is a sad state of democracy.” Let me play devil’s advocate, this is the type of election the Democratic Town Committee and Mayor Finch want. They are able to raise money without spending very much for the election. It also allows them to stay in power and not answer to anyone. This is what power does.
Can power corrupt the corrupted?
I am a relatively newcomer to B’port. For longtime citizens the scenario of machine politics must get pretty darn old. While the election turnout is more than a mere disappointment, it is more than an uphill battle to bring true democracy to B’port. Yet, it is a battle citizens should not have to fight in the USA. Unfortunately too much of B’port seems to have given up.
Thank you as well, Ron.
I do wish some of the people here really knew the mechanics of the get out the vote operation … I also want to say this simply as a fact and not a slur on the present Mayor. The only congratulations in order are self-congratulations for the administration (sorry, can’t help it), this is simply why:
There is something like 60,000 registered voters in Bridgeport. None of them received any correspondence from the Registrar of Voters office telling them of the election and where to vote. For those who say it is the responsibility of the voter, I say it is also the job of the registrar. They used to send out notice and apparently have stopped at some point in the past. There were many voters being turned away from polling locations because for their district there are a couple different locations depending on the type of election. The so-called machine then makes contact with its voter base only and gets out the support to be re-elected. It is so simple, some people refuse to see the conspiracy in it. A low-key election, with no notice as simple as a postcard that could avoid confusion and a select in-group of contacts being continually brought out amounts to voter suppression. That said, I don’t believe the antagonistic fighting approach is working in Bridgeport. Only voter education and greater participation will work. To that end let’s get to work.
How would bigger turnout have changed anything?
How would bigger turnout have changed anything?
If the just about 5,000 registered Republicans came out and encouraged their friends and neighbors to come out along with scores of fed-up citizens the 3,000 vote spread would have been easily overcome.
And if all the registered Democrats came out and encouraged their friends and neighbors the victory would have been larger. People need to stop making the voters who voted for Finch out to be criminals who don’t care about Bridgeport. I voted for Finch and I know a lot of well educated, respectful law-abiding citizens who also voted for Finch. It is time to get involved and help the city move forward in these difficult economic times.
Absolutely, Finch would have won by an even larger margin. I’m not saying voter apathy is a good thing, but if the voters were truly as angry as they are being portrayed, they would have come out in droves. I also voted for Finch with good intentions and I believe he’s the best person for the job, and I’m far from being a criminal.
So, bporteye, just how do you expect citizens “to get involved and help the city move forward in these difficult economic times?” Those are nice words but what do they mean? The election is over. Involvement time is here. Do you mean to pay their taxes on time and obey the laws? What else?
Taxpayers, voters and citizens can have valuable skills, experience and willingness to share these for the common good, but without DTC sponsorship, where are you relative to Boards and Commissions with large vacancy factors and patent satisfaction with the way members with expired terms are vulnerable to immediate replacement unless they vote “the Bridgeport way?”
You have now written twice this week my posts betray anger. I have asked you to point out where you see anger. You are unable or unwilling to put your money (my words) where your mouth is. I also have thanked you for your concern about my health. But you have not bothered to answer any questions I have asked you or in your long-time reading of my posts.
Is that because my questions cause you to think and to worry you do not know why you are so positive about Bridgeport’s immediate future? Does you head hurt? I am sorry if that is the case. Perhaps you can have some of your “well educated” friends respond to the questions that are beyond you.
Do you have a position with the City where you benefit from a regular paycheck, or perhaps the use of a Council stipend (since you have told me Council members are not interested in my recent five-minute presentations to them), or are you looking for respect because you were a supporter of the incumbent? Do you have any idea of the lessening of the values of City assets and the increase in City liabilities during the past four years?
Are you in favor of open, accountable and transparent governance? You have not answered that one either. And that is my Holy Grail I have told you. I have never made Finch out to be one of a group of “criminals who don’t care about Bridgeport.” Where are you hearing that? Sorry to trouble you with another question, but I guess that means you would be against “criminals who don’t care about Bridgeport.” But does it also mean you would favor “criminals who do care about Bridgeport???” Just asking. What about citizens who care about the Charter and ignored ordinances? Who care about financial honesty and accountability in pursuit of the common good? Is it OK to look at City financial records to determine what, why and how they impact life here?
Finally, assume the City floated a budget last year that had $4.5 Million of salary and benefits for more than 60 positions and also created a $1.6 Million contingency fund for a total of $6.1 Million of “extra elbow room” for the budget: at the end of September, three months into the 2012 fiscal year, the City is only projecting a $2.9 Million surplus next June. Would a “respectful law-abiding citizen who voted for Finch” be at all curious as to what has happened in three months to reduce the expected surplus by over $3 Million with no further detail in the Revenue or Expense notes? Again, just asking. See you at a Budget and Appropriations meeting in the future. Maybe we can hold a “meeting after the hearing” with members of the public making observations, unrecorded, off the record but learning at every occasion? Time will tell.
BEACON2, wow, it looks like you want people to read another one of your War and Peace postings. First, let me apologize for using the word “Angry.” You were right. the word I should have used was nasty! You are filled with nastiness. Please read what you write, you come off as a very nasty individual, whether it be on the Catholic Church or the City of Bridgeport. I did not say the council members were not interested, I said the people on OIB, but I’m sure the council members lent a deaf ear. For the record I don’t work for the city and respect from you is the last thing I’m looking for. Why stop in Bridgeport, maybe you should ask the Federal Government to submit to all your “OATS” requests. This will be my last Tit for Tat posting with you.
I visited and posted on OIB for the first time about a week ago. I don’t get you all … Maybe 30 – 40 of the same people very set in your ways all spending lots of time trying to convince others with positions that are set in stone that you correct. Why anyone would choose to waste their time doing this is beyond my understanding, what does it accomplish? How long have you all been doing this? How much energy is expelled beating your head against the wall for no good outcome? Is this a dope addiction? Take some time off and break the addiction, hug your kids, refocus on your work, help a neighbor, call a family member. Signing off OIB. Peace to you all. Willis in Bpt.
Willis, I’ll believe you when you come over our homes and give us all a hug. I promise I won’t see that as a waste of your time.