Bridgeport politics for sure is a screwy wabbit, especially when hunting votes. City Councilwoman Maria Pereira was certainly an asset hustling signatures for John Gomes to make the mayoral primary ballot.
She’s also mighty handy banking absentee ballots, especially in her home 138th District where Gomes should perform well with the early vote.
As a campaigner Pereira is like a one-woman riot squad making arguments on behalf of or against candidates. She is both ferocious on the campaign trail but also mercurially volcanic. You bring her on and hold your breath she doesn’t combust at a key campaign moment.
The ultimate diplomat in politics when it comes to reckoning Pereira is John Ricci, once a Mayor Joe Ganim backer who’s now a key Gomes insider. He has the patience of Job when dealing with Pereira’s peculiarities, serving as a bridge between Pereira and the candidate.
Pereira has never been a Gomes fan, then again she was no fan of former State Senator Dennis Bradley whom she once described “unethical, dishonest and sleazy as they come” but found a way to rationalize backing him in his primary loss to Herron Gaston last year, declaring on Facebook “I know this sounds a little nuts…
Earlier this year she posted on her Facebook page “I am absolutely NOT supporting John Gomes…John Gomes is arrogant, cocky and disrespectful and is surrounded by former BOE and city employees who were pushed out or fired. Many of them are looking for high-level city jobs should he prevail.”
What changed?
More than just a wink and a nod. Pereira would have to be satisfied that whatever brought her to the campaign table must cement. Last year she served as a hired gun, managing long-time State Rep. Jack Hennessy’s primary loss to Marcus Brown.
Perhaps she also has more enmity for Ganim than Gomes and would delight taking out the incumbent.
Pereira, a former school board member, must also be satisfied that Gomes will invest more in city schools the same thing that lured school board members Joe Sokolovic and Rob Traber to team Gomes. Sokolovic and Traber are key lieutenants hitting that theme on the campaign trail. Gomes has acquiesced to more funding. How much more?
Win first and figure that out later.
Lennie bringing MP on-board the Gomes campaign could be the biggest blunder and bone-headed decision.
Gomes campaign is at the point of no return as far as MP is concerned. Even if she was let go. Let her go and Gomes loses, she’ll claim that he would have won had she stayed.
Last Saturday at around 8:30 am, I went to visit 3 different family member in the vicinity of Gome’s headquarter. It looked like they were opened, so I thought I stop in and say hello. I had completely forgotten about MP joining the team. I knocked on door which has flared glass and I could see someone approaching and looking closely from the inside. Yep, MPs voice. “Oh, no. You are not coming in. I’m not letting you in. You will not step a foot in this headquarters as long as I’m…”
Lennie you touched on the surface of MP having worked on the Hennessy campaign. Who you think has all the data gathered during the Hennessy & Brown battle? Combine that with her Blind fools who support her in the 138 th. Maria Pereira pees on her supporters feet and tells them it’s raining. They all answer her with: Okay Maria, let me get us some umbrellas.
You see those MP facebook bullshit she be posting? You see how you used them to make your point stick? What is Joe Ganim waiting for as to do the same. I am aware some Ganim operatives are letting people know that Maria Pereira is with Gomes and just mentioning that hurts Gomes.
Every time MP is shooting herself in the foot. It’s been over two and a half year since MP crossed lines with me and many. At that time she did it via Social Media with her vile attack on my girls and wife. The closest Joe Ganim can get to an endorsement from me and Maria Pereira, would be to use the ghost of Maria’s past against her. Here’s my and Maria Pereira’s endorsement of Joe Ganim 23:
http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/gonzalez-files-police-complaint-against-pereira-following-sexually-explicit-facebook-attack-at-family-contacts-child-agency-about-potential-covid-exposure-from-pizarro-party/