Four weeks left to Democratic mayoral primary. Now, what?
At the very least we know this: John Gomes has qualified to face Mayor Joe Ganim on September 12 and that’s just the way Team Gomes prefers it, one on one against the incumbent. Bone to bone, tooth to tooth, head to head. That’s the Bridgeport way. You take, you receive and give it back.
Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo. Rick Derringer would be proud. “Lawdy mama, light my fuse.”
Will company arrive within the next few days?
Historically, the larger the field the better the incumbent performs with the splitting of anti-votes.
In the schizoid world of city politics, local election officials are matching signature sheet petitions against voter registration files to determine if Lamond Daniels and Marilyn Moore will join the primary party.
Word is if Daniels and Moore make the ballot it will be a squeaker to threshold the roughly 2,100 Democratic signatures required, five percent of the overall registration. We won’t know likely for a few more days. The Moore campaign actually dropped off extra petition sheets after Wednesday’s state-law 4 p.m. deadline – rejected by local election officials – which is telling about the candidate’s internal chances to qualify.
The Gomes camp has pivoted to focus on the final four weeks to draw a contrast against incumbent Ganim who is leveraging the power of incumbency to make his case for another four years.
Ganim by far will dominate spending the final four weeks, no matter the opponents.
Gomes, however, has overperformed fundraising expectations, banking plenty to appeal to electors. He’s also campaigned full time since his announcement last December. It’s been more than 30 years that a candidate won the mayoralty without an elected-office base of support. Ganim accomplished it in 1991, defeating incumbent Mary Moran.
Gomes has plenty of government experience but not as an elected official. He is backed by a contingent of operatives who once supported the mayor but have parted ways, including Gomes himself.
Meanwhile, Ganim and Gomes are appealing to a cross section of city voters awaiting word on the size of the primary field.
JG vs JG would be a heavyweight prize fight.
Moore has proven again she can’t run a campaign never mind a city & Daniels has a good job & is a good person but is basically the Finch administration with Fabrizi added to the mix. Been there done that.
Ganim is like a groundhog who pops his head out every four years ( except with newfound hair & beard now ) with the same tired old promises that end up on a shelf collecting dust until he’s in campaign mode again.
Would have liked the every 4th year road paving done though.
Those theaters on Main St started yet?
The bully tactics with the Central Ave address is a new page in the playbook, but the municipal workers having to pony up bucks is nothing new.
Time for a change, no?
The question comes down to, if Moore doesn’t qualify for the primary will Gen QAnon support Gomes?