AB Exercises In Newton, Ayala, Gomes State Senate Primary

Absentee ballots are not yet available for the Aug. 14 Democratic primary but why wait until the last minute? That, at least, is the attitude among political operatives representing the three candidates for State Senate, incumbent Ed Gomes, party-endorsed Ernie Newton and State Rep. Andres Ayala, especially for the latter two. More than 1000 absentee ballot applications are circulating in the city and if the trend continues the number of votes by absentee ballot could be a historic avalanche.

This primary has the makings of classic campaign guerrilla warfare. Operatives for Newton understand several pols supporting Ayala including former State Rep. Americo Santiago who appears to be running the show for Ayala know how to work absentee ballots. Not to be outdone Newton forces have hundreds of absentee ballot applications circulating. Political supporters can circulate absentee ballot applications. They cannot mess, however, with absentee ballots. After applications are returned to the Town Clerk’s Office the actual ballot is mailed to the voter.

Absentee ballots will not be available for voters to fill out until the complete Aug. 14 ballot lineup is set following this week’s deadline for potential petitioning candidates to submit signatures for approval by elections officials. Aug. 14 will also feature a Democratic primary for U.S. Senate between party-endorsed Chris Murphy, congressman from Connecticut’s 5th Congressional District, and Susan Bysiewicz, the ex Connecticut secretary of the state.

Gomes, for one, is taking all this in stride. The veteran of numerous city elections is doing his work raising money, greeting voters, making his case for another two-year term. There’s still a lot of fight in this warrior, even at age 76. He scoffs at Ayala operatives who had spread rumors he was leaving the race. Far from it, says Gomes. If anything, Gomes sounds like a man on a mission to defend his turf.

Connecticut’s 23rd Senate District has roughly 30,000 Democrats comprising about 70 percent of Bridgeport and a small portion of western Stratford. The district covers primarily the lowest-turnout areas of the city featuring a majority of African American and Latino voters, and a large elderly population that is often a market for campaign operatives. Key to this race are new upper East Side voters from the Hooker and Beardsley School precincts who were redistricted into the new configuration of the district from Anthony Musto’s neighboring senate district.

Are these voters most likely to vote for Gomes, Newton or Ayala?

Meanwhile, get ready for the AB load-up. If all three candidates qualify for Connecticut’s public financing system they each will have $100k to spend, a mighty amount in the final weeks of the primary.