A contingent of ministers including State Rep. Charlie Stallworth and City Councilwoman Mary McBride-Lee gathered at the East End church of Stallworth on Monday to endorse Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Herron Gaston for state senate.
Gaston, also a city faith leader, won the endorsement over incumbent State Senator Dennis Bradley for the August 9 Democratic primary. Bradley is awaiting trial on federal charges for alleged violations of Connecticut’s Citizens Election Program of publicly funded races during his run for state office in 2018.
Gaston was approved for a public grant that has infused his race with roughly $100,000 for the four-week stretch run to the primary.
Bradley is raising money outside the voluntary program and, if need be, utilizing his own resources.
Connecticut’s 23rd State Senate District covers about two thirds of Bridgeport and piece of western Stratford.
Juliemar Ortiz, a former newspaper reporter and ex communications director for Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz, filed a lawsuit against Bridgeport’s Democratic Registrar of Voters Patricia Howard asserting dozens of petition signatures of Democratic electors were improperly rejected that would have qualified her for a primary. She’s awaiting a decision from the court about ballot access.
