The Connecticut Working Families Party on Tuesday endorsed former State Senator Ed Gomes for his old seat in the February 24 special election to fill the vacancy of Andres Ayala, the new commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles. If Gomes wins the Democratic Party endorsement Thursday night at Testo’s restaurant he’ll appear on two lines. That’s a big if, and East Side City Councilman Richard DeJesus says he believes he’s well positioned to make a run at the endorsement.
“We liked Ed Gomes in the State Senate,” says Lindsay Farrell, executive director of the WFP “and we want him to return.”
Local Sierra Club organizer Onte Johnson and former City Councilman Anderson Ayala have taken out petition sheets in search of 103 certified signatures from voters in the district to qualify for the ballot. Others have also expressed interest in running, but they will need to submit signatures to the Town Clerk’s Office by 4 p.m. Friday. DeJesus has also taken out signature papers just in case he does not win the endorsement.
The Connecticut WFP has made its mark winning school board seats in the city, but was also instrumental helping Marilyn Moore defeat incumbent Anthony Musto in an August 2014 Democratic primary in Connecticut’s 22nd Senate District. Now Farrell’s organization will help Gomes in the adjacent 23 Senate District that covers about two thirds of the city and a portion of western Stratford.
According to Farrell the WFP has built prestige reaching out to unaffiliated voters in the city that could be a swing audience in this race.
Mayor Bill Finch’s political operation will likely get behind DeJesus with whom it has a solid working relationship. Gomes and Finch served together in the State Senate but are not political buds.
Low turnout special elections place a premium on get-out-the-vote operations. For the next six weeks it will be a fast blast of winter campaigning.
Republicans have endorsed Quentin Dreher, a long-time employee of Sikorsky Aircraft, to run for the seat.
So the Connecticut Working Families Party sat down with all candidates? I think new blood will prevail. I am not familiar with Richard DeJesus, but I think if the DTC endorses him then they must believe he is electable. I am certain Andres Ayalas’ people will support him unless they are upset they worked so hard to elect him and then he takes another position. Scott Hughes missed his moment. I’d put my money on DeJesus. We do not need Marilyn Moore appearing as Gomes’ puppet as she was his secretary. She needs the opportunity to show her stuff. We do not need two anti-Finch candidates in Hartford. We know the same group, the new machine that helped Moore get elected also failed so miserably in their efforts to elect Scott HUghes so I do not think they are an issue.
Steve,
Come to a City Council meetings. Look at the new members. Go to Committee meetings and see who participates, much less in attendance. Wouldn’t that be a fair way to determine to support a candidate before “you puts your money down?” Time will tell.
Yes JML, unfortunately social circumstances and excellent television make attending council meetings a bit of a drag. That is why I rely on you, the Post and word of mouth.
🙂
What are you talking about? There were completely different campaigns for Hughes and Moore. The two candidates were supportive of one another but they were completely separate entities. So just because candidates respect each other that constitutes a machine? This is an example of how rumors start and grow legs. This perception is false.
Bond Girl, they were not two separate campaigns. That was a fact and a mistake. I know, I was at a meeting and I know all the players. Bond Girl, did they forget to tell you? I know I was unaware until I showed up at the meeting. For the record, I have no problem with a group attempting to make inroads to a party riddled with corruption. But a machine is a machine. I guess it just matters who you are supporting. I was there to hear Scott Hughes.
Steve, trust me buddy. There were separate campaigns. No, they did not forget to tell me.
Steve, they were separate campaigns.
Yes Lennie, on the surface yes they were two separate campaigns. I was at the library with this grassroots group for Scott Hughes that was expecting the volunteers to be working on Marilyn Moore’s campaign. If you know the players, why not ask? Let’s see, ask Tom Coble, Lisa Parziale, Steven Nelson, etc. etc. etc.
BY THE WAY, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THIS GROUP OR THEIR ATTEMPT TO SUPPORT ALTERNATIVE CANDIDATES. I HAVE NO CONNECTION TO THE DTC AT ALL. I wish all candidates the best of luck and realize we are more often times than not on opposites sides of the fence. I believe in change and believe Richard Dejesus deserves a shot and at least listen to his platform.
Steve, Scott Hughes and Marilyn Moore’s campaigns were not intertwined in any way.
Steve, the campaigns were separate. When one skips a meeting or two, one gets lost.
That’s okay. After that meeting I knew I was in the wrong place.
On a brighter and more important note as Scott Hughes lost and is pretty much forgotten, sad but true, I’d like to acknowledge Police Officer Cronin and his girlfriend for showing the best of the best of Bridgeport in returning $6300. The honesty and compassion shown for an individual who was devastated was amazing. I think the Bridgeport Police are awesome as a whole and this is just a great piece of PR for the city and the Police Department.
I stand corrected on the other issues.
Speaking about Joe Ganim supporters, specifically Ron Mackey and Donald Day, it seems only months ago we were arguing about the grocery store for the East End.
Just out of curiosity, was this not an issue during the Ganim administration? Was this one of the issues that made life for the black community so much better than under Finch? Will the grocery store be an issue for you in the next election?
I do believe there will be one there in the next year. I am not being mean-spirited here btw. I totally agree there should be a market for the community. I am just curious if Ganim gets a pass because he was more concerned with fine dining, nice threads and drinking $500 bottles of wine. I will say he is a class act for sure.
I did say if Ganim does decide to run, I will not be dumping on him. I will stand by my word. I will say at the Hallen school yesterday, there was talk and I was a passive listener (I know, hard to believe). They were not too happy with a Ganim run.
I hear oe Lugo is going to jump into this race. He will really pull out the dead vote!
Steve, Brother Mackey and I still believe the East End deserves a grocery store and it doesn’t matter if Finch, Ganim or Mandanici was the mayor. When Joe was the mayor our chief concerns were to transform the lives of blacks through employment, specifically through hiring blacks for the fire service and getting blacks promoted once on the fire department. With the assistance of Mayor Ganim we were able to get that done, while changing the lives of numerous blacks, Latinos and women through hiring and promotions. We knew if we could change their employment opportunities we could change their lives so they would have the means and the opportunity to get to a grocery store no matter where it was in Bridgeport. Since Finch has been mayor those employment opportunities for Bridgeport blacks have shrunk to their lowest levels in 35 years.
While our concerns for hiring and promotions of blacks haven’t changed, we have expounded and explicated on our concerns for the black community and when and if Joe is elected Mayor we will continue to be that outspoken duo in getting blacks hired not only for the fire service, but the police department as well, getting blacks promoted for both services and getting a grocery store in the East End. We’ve never asked for anything for ourselves nor will we ever stoop to that level as our only concerns are the uplift of the black community of Bridgeport. Mayor Ganim knows and he understands that, the only person who doesn’t understand that is Bill Finch.
Well, I guess Mayor Finch will have to address that whether Ganim runs or not. I assume Fabrizi was amenable to your requests? I do agree with you though, there is enough talent in the city of Bridgeport, we do not need to make excuses we are expanding the talent pool. If I were Mayor, I would totally support an only-Bridgeport hiring pool and not force those already in careers to change their lives but make it a requirement for all new hires. I am sure Trumbull and Fairfield have few if any Bridgeport residents employed, especially in top key positions. Mayor Finch should address this as it would be good for morale. Even to offer incentives to move here. I’d have no problem with that.
Depleted Bridgeport PD emphasizes local hiring
Brian Lockhart
Updated 10:41 pm, Tuesday, January 13, 2015
The city wants to bolster a depleted police force with cops who live in and know Bridgeport.
“Last time, we gave 10 (extra) points to residents” on their police exam scores, Police Chief Joseph Gaudett, who is heading the recruitment effort, told members of the City Council on Monday. “This time, we’re giving 15.”
This is the only thing in the news article that talks about hiring Bridgeport residents and this is suppose to get Bridgeport residents to take the exam. Mayor Finch and Police Chief Gaudett are not really trying to hire Bridgeport residents, if they were serious they would have just those who live in Bridgeport one year before the exam is given to be a Bridgeport resident. After these candidates are on the job they can move away if they want just the way Hartford does. This is a win-win, it also become a jobs program for the taxpayers and voters of Bridgeport.
Maybe it should start with the Chief!