City faith leader Herron Gaston, the city’s assistant chief administrative officer, has defeated embattled State Senator Dennis Bradley who’s awaiting trial on federal campaign finance fraud charges. Unofficial returns show Gaston winning the Democratic primary 1,775 to 1,628 making him the prohibitive favorite to become state senator in Connecticut’s 23rd District covering about two thirds of Bridgeport and a portion of western Stratford.
This is a key victory for Mayor Joe Ganim and Democratic Town Chair Mario Testa who rallied party regulars to support the young minister over incumbent Bradley who was stripped of committee assignments by Hartford leadership following his indictment last year.
Tuesday evening Bradley tapped a premature victory dance presuming absentee ballots would put him over the top. Late in the evening, however, he toed defeat.
Bradley had support from his share of party insiders such City Council members Ernie Newton, Jorge Cruz and and Alfredo Castillo, as well as East End District Leader Ralph Ford who controls a Political Action Committee that dumped a late mail attack on Gaston highlighting a refuted allegation of sexual assault charges against Gaston when he was a student at Yale.
Across the district in Bridgeport precinct results were close with Bradley performing well in the East End and South End, Gaston holding his own in other neighborhoods. The Stratford portion of the district was solidly behind Gaston.
What’s next for Bradley? He had toyed with a minor-party ballot spot in the general election, a monumental task considering the wind at Gaston’s back with so many Democrats predisposed to the party line on November’s gubernatorial ticket.
The larger, looming question is the future of his liberty with his trial delayed indefinitely as defense attorneys and prosecutors argue over evidentiary issues.
Bradley wants to be mayor, an ambition weighted greatly toward the timing of his trial in advance of next year’s mayoral cycle. Ganim, who’s seeking reelection to another four-year term, has no formal opponent. That will likely change in early 2023.
Thank heavens. Now go out there and make us proud, Rev. Gaston!
Sounds like Bradley ran out of Gas(ton).
Is anybody surprised about Rev. Gaston’s run/victory? It seems like the writing was on the wall, foretold in a fortune cookie with forces beyond the understanding.
Robert Teixeira says:
January 4, 2019 at 8:53 pm http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/pastor-gaston-social-activism-is-at-the-heart-of-the-christian-gospel/
I do miss my OIB comrades, Day Ron, Frank, TBK, and Maria, to name a few. 🙂
http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/pastor-gaston-social-activism-is-at-the-heart-of-the-christian-gospel/
However, I do believe Judge Lopez may have gotten wind of Rev. Gaston’s run for office for she was casting doubt. 🙂
http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/judge-lopez-political-ambitions-and-pastoral-duties-are-often-incompatible/
Delete 🙂 copy-ish
Is anybody surprised about Rev. Gaston’s run/victory? It seems like the writing was on the wall, foretold in a fortune cookie with forces beyond the understanding.
Robert Teixeira says:
January 4, 2019 at 8:53 pm
I do miss my OIB comrades, Day Ron, Frank, TBK, and Maria, to name a few. 🙂
http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/pastor-gaston-social-activism-is-at-the-heart-of-the-christian-gospel/
However, I do believe Judge Lopez may have gotten wind of Rev. Gaston’s run for office for she was casting doubt. 🙂
http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/judge-lopez-political-ambitions-and-pastoral-duties-are-often-incompatible/
But how deep is Judge Lopez’s understanding of Port’s fortune cookie Politics?
Let’s go back, dig a little deeper, to the beginning-ish 🙂
Joe in 2015 enters the mayoral race and shows off his Chutzpah after being convicted and serving his time for corruption, in the hope of mending the fences of the people of the Port whose trust he had betrayed. http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/more-ganim-chutzpah-patches-fence-near-trumbull-gardens-after-neighbors-complain-about-crime/
Though it was rough at times and it felt like the only one camp/corner was the dog Fin.
https://www.facebook.com/joeganim/videos/541724102679465
But after one of the city’s most electrifying elections of my time. The numbers came in, he best Finch in the primary and went on to win the general, reclaiming his seat. . He does this without the aid of Billboards or his new hairline. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3HBtzS_E1I
in his camp/corner
Meanwhile, after Maria and Bradley joined Joe’s comeback campaign in the hopes of winning seats on the BBOE, both when on to victories in the primary. Maria soon departs G2’s camp and becomes an outspoken critic of G2. Bradley other hand seemed to stay loyal to the G2’s administration. Maria becomes Bradley’s Nemesis on the BBOE and chaos ensues ‘. http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/chaos-on-school-board-chairman-dennis-bradley-and-others-refuse-to-attend-meetings-until-pereira-resigns-pereira-no-way/
To say the least. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktLXdFHgYoI
Even so, with the BBOE in Chaos, in 2016 Bradey and Maria spread their wings to fly, flapping for Hartford. 🙂
Bradley heads East with his eyes set on Senator Gomes’s seat. Bradley’s campaign supporter led by Ford ends up in court for some shady shit against the warriors. 🙂
http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/courtroom-drama-in-gomes-versus-bradley-state-senate-battle/
Maria heads South for Alabama’s native State Rep. Stallworth. While Stallworth ekes out a win over the pariah and clips her winds. It was Port Politis as usual with Maria giving the establishment the bird. 🤣
http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/party-establishment-flips-finger-back-at-pereira-in-state-house-war/
The following year, G2, fresh off his historic comeback victory G2 puts on his boxing gloves and steps into the ring with his new hairline hoping to KO Lamant for governor, with his fancy footwork and rope a dope. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ-JX-7B3uM
They sparred over bathrooms and the price of mike. Ultimately, Lamont busted out his clipper and trimmed Joe’s newfound hairline, flushing it, and sending it spiraling it down the drain of one of his Eight Bathrooms. 🤣
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSU2TkosJz0
The following year, for unknown reasons, the Warrior Gomes decide not to run again, opening the door for a Bradley win.
Maria, on the other hand, is smart enough to know she lacks city-wide support to retain her current BOE seat and retreat to the safety of her home turf, Thomas Hooker. She fashions a runs for the city council.
While both are victorious, Bradley, the fighter, came out swinging hard with some low blows that catches Maria’s eye. Before the ink dried on Maria’s complaint it forced Bradley into a corner. Setting the stage for Gaston’s KO, four years down the road.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuaFIRD7_5Y
But first Rev. Gaston had to get some exposure. So he joins a commission, and supported G2 against Moore in his reelection bid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyHv0kacP7I
A move that Gaston, for a new black pastor in the Port, would be sweating over because of the racial element in the world of Trump-ism, picking a White Male over a Black Female could lead to political disaster, only a black fixture in Port politics, Moses, would be unfazed of such a thing. Gaston on the other hand took a leap of faith and supported the White Guy knowing that if Ganim lost he would be branded as an outcast in his community. The very same community that will make him wonder, Where Is The Love?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpYeekQkAdc
Although Gaston wrote about the ordeal called the Darkest Night: An Incarceration Memoir, From Jail to Yale, and the charges were ultimately dropped and he was exonerated. It didn’t stop the character assassination of a black man who migrated to America of his own free will in search of a better life and prosperity, who has given himself as a servant of God and public servant.
https://www.facebook.com/FrankRecchia12/videos/1242761439825520/
The people that looked like him, black and brown took what has been at the forefront of black, brown, and white people of an unjust judicial system of treatment of black and brown people in the movement of BLM. They ran with the very system to portray Gaston, a black man living in America as a criminal sexually pedophile who assaulted a child, all in the name to garner the votes of a man they supported in an election who is on trial for political corruption. A smear campaign that would leave many wondering how low can Port politics take the city. It makes Port’s AB harvesting game seem like children singing in the church choir.
While I don’t expect people who follow Jesus to take the of the 13 apostles, Rufus. 🙂
Butt that’s some cold shit people for Port politics, considering what most of you do in the dark. JS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFV20UDqaNY
In conclusion, while there are many more incidences in the dynamic of Port politics, from the new guard replacing the old, McCarthy, Perez, Dunn. Or Maria’s ability to get people elected and her inability to keep a council partner. The Up and Comers like Brown, Cruz, and Gen Now. Lopez and the return of Port’s political fixture Moses, and so, to the BBOE
However, have to ask, who is Joe Grits? What force is feeding him? He gets more news coverage from Frank Recchia than Maria and Moses got when they had their pissing contest. That doesn’t happen by happenstance. 🙂
https://www.wtnh.com/on-air/capitol-report/capitol-report-bridgeport-councilman-challenged-to-take-drug-test/1943084583/
Peace out OIB. I’m out of here. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u81zp9xDJE&list=RD7u81zp9xDJE&start_radio=1
I miss them too!! It’s ok RT, I don’t feel slighted.
The Ct post article on 8/8 regarding Ganims law license featured Lennie but it was ignored here on OIB!
Cheers!! 😂
Bradley performing well in the East End leaves a lot to be desired. I was vote 165 around 6:15 yesterday. Turnout was anemic.