Awaiting federal sentencing in December for his election fraud conviction, former State Senator Dennis Bradley on Tuesday was charged by state police in connection with opening a sealed absentee ballot of a Bridgeport senior citizen who had voted for incumbent Judge of Probate Paul Ganim and directing her to switch her vote to his brother Mark for the August 11 Democratic primary. Dennis Bradley was caught on video opening the woman’s ballot.
Ganim defeated Mark Bradley in the August primary.
In March Dennis Bradley was convicted by a federal jury of election fraud stemming from his run for the state legislature in 2018. This state arrest now violates the terms of his federal bail and, as a result, adds further repercussions to the suspension of his law license following his federal conviction.
A few weeks ago a federal judge approved a request by Bradley to attend the wedding of his brother Mark in the Dominican Republican effective later this week. This state arrest now throws a potential wrinkle into that.
“You did a good job sealing this bad boy,” declares Bradley in the captured video, clearly opening the ballot to steal the woman’s vote to benefit his brother.
In protest, Alesia Dennis contacted city police to swear out a complaint against Dennis Bradley and she also took to social media declaring, “He ripped the envelope open…So how many other people he doing this to. And he gave it to me and told me to cross out my top vote and then fill in the bottom vote. He helped me tape up the envelope and put a stamp on it and I feel like my rights violated because how are you gonna make me change my vote after I made my decision now. I wonder how many other people he done this to and that’s a violation of my rights.”
Dennis said she ultimately did not return the absentee ballot. Instead, she chose to cast her vote for Ganim during early voting.
OIB heard from approximately 12 voters in similar situations asserting either Dennis or Mark Bradley knocked on their door to examine and adjust their absentee ballot vote, but this is the first time a voter produced video surveillance validating claims.
How does this happen?
The Bradley campaign camp monitored voters who requested an absentee ballot, logged with the Town Clerk’s Office. Voters are paid a visit by campaign operatives.
Connecticut law prohibits anyone, other than an immediate family member, healthcare provider or police officer, touching or altering that ballot.
Mark Bradley is also under state criminal probe for voting simultaneously as a registered Republican in Massachusetts and Democrat in Bridgeport for eight years.
After the surveillance video was released News 8 reporter Mike Cerulli confronted Dennis Bradley campaigning for his brother during the early-vote in front of the Morton Government Center. Shown the video and caught of guard a testy Bradley replied “It appears to be me.”
Dennis Bradley’s lawyer Darnell Crosland issued this statement:
“I can confirm that Dennis Bradley was re-arrested today in connection with the ballot-opening investigation. Mr. Bradley maintains his innocence and looks forward to having the facts fully and fairly examined through the appropriate legal process.”
News release from the state:
Chief State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin today announced that Dennis A. Bradley, Jr., age 42, of Bridgeport, has been criminally charged in connection with the misuse of absentee ballots during the 2026 Bridgeport Democratic Primary.
Inspectors from the Statewide Prosecution Bureau in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney today arrested Bradley on a warrant charging him with two counts of Illegal Possession of Absentee Ballots and Envelopes, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 9-140b(d), Present When an Absentee Ballot Applicant Executes an Absentee Ballot, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 9-140b(e), and Absentee Ballots, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 9-359.
On August 11, 2026, the City of Bridgeport held a primary election for the Democratic Party candidate nomination which included the position of Judge of Probate. The candidates for that office were incumbent Paul Ganim, and his challenger, Mark Bradley. Electors had the ability to vote in person or by absentee ballot. A complainant contacted the Bridgeport Police Department on August 5, 2026, and followed up with a complaint to the State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) on August 6, 2026, that a male known to her as “Dennis Bradley” came to her apartment, opened her previously executed absentee ballot, and instructed her how to change her vote from Paul Ganim to Mark Bradley, who is Dennis Bradley’s brother. The SEEC subsequently referred the case to the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney for further investigation.
Bradley was released on a promise to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court, Geographical Area No. 2, on October 21, 2026.
These charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
