A Democratic candidate endorsed by both the police and fire unions over the Republican incumbent in Stratford? It happened in this high-profile race between retired physician David Chess and two-term Republican incumbent Laura Hoydick seeking another four-year term.
This engaging mayoral race in Stratford has generated the largest early vote turnout in Connecticut, according to numbers provided by the Connecticut Secretary of the State’s Office.
(As OIB readership goes, Stratford is number two to Bridgeport.)
This morning OIB received validation of those numbers from Stratford’s Registrar’s Office, 2,718 in total that likely eclipses 4,000 early votes by Sunday, the last day to vote early in advance of Tuesday’s general election.
Stratford is one of those Democratic towns that can go Republican in local races. It’s a reminder of where Bridgeport was 35 years ago when the Democratic registration outpaced the GOP 2-1 but unaffiliated voters leaning Republican, and sometimes Dems voting Republican if truly pissed off. Raise my taxes, I punch you in the nose.
In addition to police and fire employees upset about pension benefits, affordability is a key factor in this race, as well as the specter of Donald Trump who lost the town handily last year but whose shadow lurks one year later.
In the dizzying world of politics timing is everything. Here today, gone tomorrow, sometimes returning.
Affordability covers many fronts: rents, taxes, mortgages, gas, food, health care, the price of a cocktail to relax all those other disturbing things picking your pocket. Little things mean a lot
As the tax rate goes in Stratford, it’s among the highest in Connecticut, in this town of 52,000. New Haven a bit lower, Bridgeport a bit higher. But Bridgeport’s population is three times higher. And that’s a problem for Stratford.
The bigger problem for Stratford, however, no cranes in the air. Nothing on the immediate horizon to quell the tax rate. It’s supreme employer by far, Sikorsky Aircraft, is smack in the middle of the residential North End whose occupants largely embrace nothing more than that. Say the words “industry” or “affordable housing” up there and they come after you with hatchets.
(I’ve attended the zoning hearings.)
So, that limits where the town can shoe-horn development unless there’s a will or a persuasion to get it done. That means the South End of the town, the community’s industrial base, generally below Barnum Avenue.
Remember the Avco/Army Engine Plant? Still a work in progress for redevelopment to buoy the tax rate. Long time off.
Then, there’s the airport which connects Bridgeport and Stratford. Bridgeport owns the municipal airport, but it’s located in Stratford. Wouldn’t it be nice they both could figure out a way to turn it into a viable money maker?
No matter what happens between Chess and Hoydick, 2026 is a revaluation year for Stratford with limited tax growth. My guess is the burden is shifted to residential and that will cause mountain ranges of screaming.
Could this become a Check Mate?
Grin, stop stealing my lines!
With the Incumbant not getting the endorsement of the Fire and Police Unions, the Chess board is in the perfect position for a, “Urusov Gambit.” One could say the Incumbant used a, “Vienna Gambit” with the Unions for her first move. That’s an amateur first move in the complicated game of Chess.
This is the shit Iam taking about, not the devil’s details in the medical industrial complex called Health Care, but the disingenuous political system parties talking about both sides of their mouth. And I used the word disingenuous extremely loosely.
We seen and heard the political rhetoric about kinship Trump’s big beautiful bill regarding how it’s going to take food out of the mouths of the poor people with its new regulations by the Democrats as they march on to preserve subsidies for Obamacare.
Yet here we are at a Crossroads to fund snap with its heavy-handed regulations by itself and you have the Republican house speaker not wanting to call a vote on a standalone bill to fun snap based on keeping the pressure on a Democrats regarding health insurance subsidies for the Affordable Care Act.
So ask yourself who does that really benefit by not funding snap in stand lone funding bill? JS
My assessment is the Republican Mike Johnson is on team Obamacare subsidies subsidy disguised the free market health insurance industry that has no bearing and lowering the cost of Health Care through what they call competition.
Considering Trump’s executive order on prescription drugs where he outlined America pays $100 for a pill while other developing comes companies pay $10 not sure how competitive insurance companies affect that as it pertains to health care costs when all they do is write the check just saying
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/10/28/congress/mike-johnson-shutdown-snap-00625211
Mike Johnson said the Democrats are using the shutdown as Leverage in the pain that it’s causing, yet he won’t bring a standalone vote on Snap.
Let that’s sink in people, it is fair to say in America’s political game, party generally doesn’t matter as much an Cearly Mike Johnson’s words resonates as an in the closet Democrat Dexicrat who wants the subsidies for Obamacare.
In the spirit of Disingenuous, black people I can assure you there are in the closet Dexicrats in that Denomcrat party hold they’re old Democratic views before they were you savior. JS
Try to play nice people
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t_8SCghPRNQ
Just a stray creative idea: How about a merger of Bridgeport and Stratford (re-merger…) and then they could have a shared future of more political clout and a shared square mile of new tax base at the defunct (and likely to remain so) Sikorsky Airport. Combined shoreline resources, Housatonic River, s access, square mile of new, high-end development, and the largest (by far) population in Connecticut could present for some serious political clout and a viable, reimagined future for both towns. (But; NO BRIDGE TO LONG ISLAND –EATING UP VALUABLE WATERFRONT AND ADJACENT DEVLOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES…)
Merger? Haha. What does Bridgeport have to offer Stratford? Higher taxes.
Jeff, creative, perhaps, effective and practical perhaps not🤣
I am still trying to decipher that bridge thing that shits retarded and it’s current stated.
The Port can get its own political shit show game under control you want to expand it to Stratford. 🤣
Speaking of shit shows, anybody find it interesting, disingenuous about the left political rhetoric about Trump dictatorship vengeful nature and going after anybody who insults him yet pics of Vice President who openly call them an idiot and Hitler and generally was against him until he was tapped the peace vice president running mate, just saying
On a final note in this shit show called politics the D’s, and I use that term loosely are changing the narrative of unfunded SNAP benefits to Trump not shifting money around and suing him for it. Yet no voice on a Republican bill and perhaps a Democrat out there as well to pressure the Republican house speaker to bring it up to a vote just saying but that’s sink in, I am sure there’s enough smart people in the room, don’t need me to point out the obvious.
https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-did-democrats-vote-against-funding-snap-benefits-10953995
Besides, I know I tend to forget what I write down but even I’m coming to the conclusion I’m just repeating myself🤣
Peace out Port,good luck with that bridge 🤣
Try to play nice people /OIB and good luck.
John always a pleasure. 🙃
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Soa3gO7tL-c