Presidential caucus and primary fever abound nationally, but in Bridgeport pols are gearing up for March 1 Democratic Town Committee primaries in potentially four districts featuring a cast of characters for control of the party.
Elections officials are reviewing the petition sheets of slates trying to qualify for the ballot in the quest to join the 90-member DTC that endorses candidates for office and selects a chairman. Slates need signatures from five percent of registered Democrats in the respective districts. Absentee ballots are key in these low-turnout events. They will be ready for distribution on February 9. Political operatives are circulating absentee ballot applications in the respective districts. Bridgeport has 10 town committee districts with 9 members per. Here’s a glimpse if all slates qualify for the ballot.
In the 131st District covering the South End, Downtown and portion of West End, long-time district leader Mitch Robles and City Council members Denese Taylor-Moye and Jack Banta face a challenge slate led by former City Council member Mary Bruce.
The 132nd District covering the West Side features town committee incumbents in a split rivalry. Former City Council President Lisa Parziale has assembled a slate that includes former city councilor Bob Halstead and school board member Howard Gardner taking on long-time district leader Mike Freddino and council members Evette Brantley and John Olson.
On the East Side 137th District a challenge slate featuring Juan Hernandez and former council member Maria Valle is taking on a slate that includes veteran district leader Gilberto Hernandez, City Clerk Lydia Martinez, education advocate Jessica Martinez and council member Aidee Nieves.
The Upper East Side 138th District could have 27 candidates. School board member Maria Pereira has assembled a slate of neighborhood activists against a slate that includes council members Anthony Paoletto and Nessah Smith. Former council member Leticia Colon and multiple candidate for public office Charles Hare have also joined forces on a third slate.
The top 9 vote producers among all the candidates win election to the town committee.
Good luck to all.
I’m sorry but I cannot get worked up about the DTC Primaries on the day the Iowa caucuses are being held.
Lennie, any turnout numbers on the 184th Caucus in Cedar Rapids yet? This will be a good barometer as to how the Democratic results will go.
As far as the Democratic Caucuses go I have only one thing to say:
Bernie
Bernie
Bernie
Bernie
I’m sticking with Hillary.
Hillary, Hillary, Hillary, Hillary. How much do you want to bet, Bubba?
Lisa,
With 95% of the caucuses reporting:
Hilary 49.9
Bernie 49.6
O’Malley .5
Looks like a tie to me.
Now it is on to New Hampshire and a Bernie win in his own backyard
This can’t be seen as good news for the revival of Downtown:
McDonald’s in downtown Bridgeport closing
If a Mickey D’s can’t make it downtown, who can???
Steve doesn’t eat at McDonald’s because it’s too gauche even for him.
Paging Steve Auerbach
Paging Steve Auerbach
Paging Steve Auerbach
Love Mcdonald’s coffee. Strange they are closing downtown. I am with Hillary.
Hold up, wait a minute, you mean there are only going to be four primaries instead of all nine districts and especially the 130th district? Where are all those bloggers who bitch about the Democratic Town Committee and its chairman, Mario Testa and the “machine” and how they are ruining Bridgeport? Why aren’t they out there running for the DTC?
What’s the scoop for the 130th?
Because they will have to get out of their recliners, put down the remote and do some hard work. I’ve tried several times in the past and it can be tiring and disappointing. A party member, much less a general voter, doesn’t want to discuss issues or will vent to you but most likely won’t get to polls to vote.
The current DTC members in the 130th are handpicked by the district leader, the old DTC members were replaced by Danny Roach for the current members aka the Fat-bottomed Broads!
Much to the district leader’s surprise, they all voted for Bill Finch back in July, that cost Joe Ganim the DTC endorsement.
At this time 130th is infiltrated with Finchettes and they would love to see Mario Testa removed as chairman.
Maybe the district leader would like to challenge Mario this year? Now that he has the Finchettes and the FBBs back on his side?
So Ron, why buy the cow when we in the 130th can get the milk for free?
Jimfox, really, okay keep waiting for the free milk.
Bob Walsh: I’m with you on this one 110%! It’s been a long time since that’s been the case.
Bernie is the only candidate in this race with his finger on the pulse of the American public. He’s actually thinking in terms of what’s good for the 99.9% of us who can’t continually absorb the costs of keeping the 0.1% of the rest of us in a position of absurd immunity from the effects of their global political-economic manipulations.
Life could actually get better for most of us–especially urbanites–under a Bernie presidency.
I truly hope he wins tonight. I’ll be watching closely.
It should also be noted Bernie was one of the very few in Congress who didn’t drink the Bush Kool-Aid in 2003. Hillary gulped it down and she talks as if she hasn’t learned a thing (after all these years and her subsequent SOT role) from all the global mayhem it catalyzed.
*** I must admit Bernie at this time has my support and vote so far! ***
Fox news is promoting Bernie Sanders. You think maybe they are hoping he is the nominee?
You Democrats should be damned proud of yourselves.
You get to chose between the devil and an old white communist.
Quentin, as should the Republicans for they get to choose between two Washington obstructionists and a damned fool.
“damned fool” MULTI-BILLIONAIRE.
THE Democrats get a senior citizen socialist from New England. They also get one of the biggest bullshit artists in the USA. They get a women who overlooks her husband’s philandering. The Dems get who I classify as a murderer. Just look at Benghazi.
As compared to the Republicans’ top two blowhards.
How many people have died because of Trump and Cruz? I know at least four died because of Hillary’s cowardice.
Based on that logic then Bush 43 is war criminal for invading a country and killing thousands of people who had nothing to do with the 911 bombing.
BS.
Ron, please look at the history in regards to Iraq. Bush and many of our allies all thought the information they had was valid and there were WMDs. The people for the most part suffered under Saddam and were persecuted. Hillary, that bitch all she had to do was make a call and Seals would have been sent to rescue our people.
Andy, “thought” is the key word. Here is a news article about it. The former secretary of state, Colin L. Powell, says in a television interview to be broadcast Friday that his 2003 speech to the United Nations, in which he gave a detailed description of Iraqi weapons programs that turned out not to exist, was “painful” for him personally and would be a permanent “blot” on his record.
Ron, he gave the speech believing there were WMD and spoke about it 10 years later. If someone of Powell’s intelligence and knowledge could believe the WMP story, why would others not believe them?
BS. About Hillary’s cowardice, Benghazi, etc.
You’d better read up on that. It seems you don’t know shit about what happened. She refused to send help when it was asked for. Are you one of those idiots who think Hillary can do no wrong? She is an unprincipled bitch who would do anything to get elected. Just think, Bill Clinton will be first man in the White House and have access to all those young interns.
You crack me up, Donald. I am running an audio visual on my inner cinema of you saying “Damned Fool.” Made my day.
Just to correct a portion of this article as it relates to the alleged activists in the 138th. Other than Maria Pereira, the rest of these candidates have done nothing for the 138th.
I have lived in this neighborhood for 72 years and I served the town committee for 15 years.