Three weeks left until the Tsunami Tuesday August 12 Democratic primary and absentee ballots are now available. What would a city election be without the magical world of AB-racadabra (Gotta reach out and grab ya). So who ya supporting?
Matchups For State Senate:
In the 22nd Senate District, health care professional and political activist Marilyn Moore is challenging incumbent Anthony Musto who won the seat in 2008 after a close primary win over Moore. The district covers all of Trumbull and portions of Bridgeport and Monroe. Moore figures to win Bridgeport while Trumbull resident Musto should carry the suburbs. In campaigns winning is relative. How close can each respective candidate stay in enemy territory?
Mayor Bill Finch’s political operation is backing Musto while Moore has largely stitched together support from neighborhood and political factions opposed to the establishment. Moore is also backed by State Representatives Jack Hennessy and Charlie Stallworth and former State Senator Ed Gomes. Musto will trot out his voting record as a veteran member of the Senate. Moore is running as a reformer in touch with district concerns. Both candidates have qualified for an $83,000 grant under the state’s public financing program.
In the 23rd Senate District, City Librarian Scott Hughes is awaiting official word from the State Elections Enforcement Commission about his grant qualification in his challenge of freshman incumbent Andres Ayala who won the seat in a 2012 primary over incumbent Ed Gomes and Ernie Newton who’s decided to seek his old State House seat this year. The public grant is critical to Hughes’ race and if he gets the dough campaign handlers will have a boatload of cash to spend in the final few weeks. How will they spend it?
Ayala is now a seasoned campaigner from his years on the City Council, State House and now State Senate. Hughes is a fresh face as a city candidate. He won a seat on the Democratic Town Committee as part of a insurgent coalition in the Upper East Side in March.
Matchups for State House:
As primaries go, the battle for control of the city’s East End in the 124th State House District has all the drama of a political battle royal featuring two diametrical opposed personalities, party endorsed lightning rod Ernie Newton, self-described Moses of his peeps who touts himself as the people’s champ, not the politicians’ chump challenged by the understated undertaker Andre Baker who’s framing himself as an agent of change who will bring respect to the district. Both candidates bring East End voter bases to the table, Newton from his years serving the district on the City Council and in the legislature and Baker who also served on the council, is an elected member of the Board of Education and operates a neighborhood funeral home. Will undertaker Baker get Newton in the end? Newton says he will shock the political establishment opposed to his election. Baker’s hoping to receive approval for his state public financing grant on Wednesday.
The 128th State House District features the heart of Latino politics. Incumbent Christina Ayala lost the endorsement to the city’s anti-blight chief Chris Rosario who’s backed by the mayor.
City Fire Commissioner Dennis Bradley and newcomer Teresa Davidson are also in the race. Rosario and Bradley have qualified for a $28,000 public grant. Ayala and Davidson are waiting to hear about their grant applications. Both are on the commission agenda for Wednesday.
Ayala comes from strong political stock including her parents Democratic Registrar Sandi Ayala and her father Tito Ayala, former city councilman, as well as her cousin State Senator Andres Ayala.
The district covers the East Side and Hollow neighborhoods with only two voting precincts Marin School and Geraldine Johnson, the lowest turnout areas of the city so a premium is placed on candidates knocking on doors, making phones calls and dragging their friends to the polls.
Vote out the criminals if you want business to even consider the city. If the criminals are re-elected business will move, the tax base shrinks, the beggars go to the new governor, get turned down and with one month of stupidity, we have Detroit East!
Dennis Bradley, even Lydia says he is far more qualified to be a legislator–while she is working to get those AB’s for Finch-endorsed city employee Rosario to get elected. Her reason, she has worked with him for years and he has been “groomed” for this office. Even if the State Rep is not in our district, every elected official is a reflection of every taxpayer in this city. Sending a non-conflicted, qualified representative from every district should be a citywide effort.
I’m a Democrat which means I party under the same tent as people whose views I sometimes differ with. Here’s why I’m writing: Marilyn Moore is already part of the establishment she seeks to join. She needs financing and her clients need financing, too. Nothing happens without financing. She’s an agent of big government and she doesn’t mind if it takes borrowed money to get there. I wonder if she can separate her business success from America’s $17 trillion debt.
Local Eyes has no idea of what he is talking about. But why should his assessment of the Witness project be any different than anything else he posts?
Lie, lie, lie and maybe somebody will start believing you. In the image and likeness of his hero, Bill Finch.
Who we elect is about the disbursement of our tax dollars and laws created. I am not aware of public funding used to support Marilyn’s projects, but her programs are public-health related, something I can support.
Well, there is certainly someone who posted on this topic who is a “liar.”
Bob Walsh just called me a liar. I wonder if he was acting as a campaign spokesperson or just another troll under the bridge.
Local Eyes, I’m calling you a liar.
This is what Ron Mackey did to me:
www .Door24.MOBI
No. I believe I called your hero Bill Finch a liar and simply accused you of following in his footsteps.
Pile on! Ron Mackey’s charges are groundless and BW is unsure of himself.
So Loco Eyes,
Let me make sure I have this right. Marilyn Moore trying to secure services for uninsured women with cancer, BAD!!!
Bill Finch begging for a half a million to a million dollars in federal funds to house illegal immigrants, GOOD!!!
The juicy stuff is right here! Here’s why:
Bob Walsh has nothing right. He is a discredit to local politics and Ron Mackey promises to be a liability to Bridgeport for the rest of his life. Here’s the worst part: the rule of law is on his side. He’s a legal liability.
Local Eyes, thank you, coming from you that is high praise because nobody pays attention to you but thanks for thinking about me.
*** It will come as no surprise to me to see Bpt Democratic voters once again support the same “going nowhere fast” candidate losers who have proven themselves to be continued political black-eye news media experts who have brought very little positive change or gain to the city of Bpt whether in the past, present or future! *** YOU GET WHAT YOU VOTE FOR, NO? ***
Mojo, right or wrong, it’s good you’re back.
Message to Marilyn Moore: I was incorrect. I’m sorry, I apologize and I was wrong. Your altruistic motives are as evident as my faulty conclusions.
Off topic:
Watched a city truck with two workers pull up and park across the street from my house this afternoon. The truck was there for about 30 minutes before I looked out the door to see if I could figure out why they were there. One worker sat in the truck while the other worker was working on my neighbor’s car! He worked on the car for over an hour!
Just curious why two city employees would be helping my neighbor work on the car in the middle of the workday. Actually took pictures to document it!
Barney, there’s a hole in downtown Bridgeport. The Finch administration will be looking into it.
It is one of the perks of living here. The city makes house calls to fix cars. Of course Barney, you took a picture and got the license place as well as contacted the Post, your elected councilmen and the Mayor’s office. If you did none of the above, one would safely assume it did not happen.
Barney,
Hope you are taking advantage of summer for R&R.
Assuming the hood of the car was up (rather than the trunk) to indicate someone was working on the car, glad you got the truck ID with a photo.
However, could it be the Public Facilities employees, whether full time or seasonal, had been deputized to find one or more of those youth from south of the border who may have made it as far as Bridgeport? Or perhaps they were on a documented break, and the one who got out of the cab has ADHD and needs to be doing something actively? Time will tell.
JML,
Enjoying a wonderfully relaxing summer. I had just gotten out of a refreshing dip in the pool when I noticed the helpful city employees.
Since the truck was over there for well over an hour, not sure how it could be an official break. lunch or otherwise.
City employee was definitely working under the hood of car.
Steve–do you think I took the pictures for personal keepsakes? I think you know I won’t keep them to myself. The question is what will others do with the documentation.