Mark Bradley Announces Candidacy For Probate Judge, Challenging Long-Time Incumbent Paul Ganim

Attorney Mark Bradley on Monday announced his candidacy for Bridgeport judge of probate, taking on 27-year incumbent Paul Ganim, brother of Mayor Joe Ganim who is up for reelection next year.

It’s been 20 years since Paul Ganim faced a Democratic primary. His path to the seat began in 1998 when he defeated party-endorsed Kevin Boyle who would primary Ganim in 2002 and 2006. Since that time Paul Ganim has had little difficulty winning subsequent four-year terms.

The party convention will take place in May with a potential August primary. As a single-town district, Bridgeport’s 90-member Democratic Town Committee handles the endorsement versus appointed delegates for multi-town districts.

Connecticut probate judges oversee the administration of estates for deceased individuals, validate wills and appoint guardians for minors and people with disabilities. The probate judge in Bridgeport, as Connecticut’s most populous community, earns roughly $150,000 per year, plus benefits, the highest among the probate judge wage scale.

Under state law, probate judges must have a law degree. They are allowed to practice law professionally while overseeing the probate district.

Mark Bradley is the brother of former State Senator Dennis Bradley who is scheduled for federal  trial next week challenging alleged election law violations.

News release from Mark Bradley campaign:

Attorney Mark Bradley, a Bridgeport resident, army veteran, and children’s rights advocate, announced his candidacy for Judge of Probate for the City of Bridgeport this morning on WICC’s “Melissa in the Morning.”

Bradley told listeners that his run for probate judge is “about service, period,” emphasizing that his decisions in life and law have been driven by a commitment to serve families and his community rather than personal gain. The son of a pastor, Bradley served four years in the United States Army National Guard and has practiced law for more than eight years. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School of Law (Juris Doctor) and Norwich University (Bachelor of Science in Accounting), where he served as a ROTC cadet and Army Officer Candidate.

Bradley is a partner and founder of Bradley Law Group, where he specializes in Juvenile Special Immigrant Status (SIJS) cases, personal injury, and civil litigation. In that role he has built a practice focused on children and families navigating complex legal systems, with a particular emphasis on vulnerable and immigrant youth.  A native Spanish speaker, Bradley is also a proud father of three and an active volunteer with youth soccer organizations.

On the program, Bradley said he is running to transform the Bridgeport Probate Court into a truly “customer‑friendly and family‑friendly” office grounded in empathy, fairness, and respect. He emphasized that families coming before the court are often in crisis—after a death, illness, or family breakdown—and deserve a judge who will listen, explain the process clearly, and treat every person with dignity.

“The day the election ends is the day politics ends when it comes to matters of probate,” Bradley said, stressing that the probate bench must be free from political influence. He noted that not only constituents but also attorneys have urged him to run because “there is too much politics in the probate office” today. He pointed to the long‑standing political crossover between incumbent Judge Paul Ganim and Mayor Joe Ganim as part of the old political culture Bridgeport is ready to move beyond.

Bradley also directly addressed questions about his brother, former State Senator Dennis Bradley, who is under federal indictment in a pending campaign‑finance case. Mark Bradley said he supports his brother “one thousand percent” and believes the charges are frivolous but made clear that “the process will play itself out” in court. “That trial is Dennis’s journey,” he said. “I have my own journey, and that is to become the next Probate Judge for Bridgeport—bringing integrity, empathy, and fairness to the families who depend on this court.”

Bradley framed his candidacy as an opportunity to restore trust and refocus the court on its core mission: protecting children, elders, and families at their most vulnerable moments. “This race is about who you want making decisions for your family when life turns upside down,” Bradley says. “I’m asking the people of Bridgeport to let me serve them with integrity, compassion, and respect.”

A recording of Mark Bradley’s full interview on “Melissa in the Morning” will be attached/linked with this release.     https://audioboom.com/posts/8871405-melissa-in-the-morning-mark-bradley