You’ll never meet anyone more direct in city politics than State Senator Ed Gomes. Some pols will spit in your face and make you think it’s raining, others will grin ya to death as the stiletto hits your spine. Ed Gomes is a different animal. If there’s 10 guys in a room that want to jump Eddie’s friend, he’ll be the first to the rescue. “I’m 74 years old and I don’t give a shit. I’ll fight you here or I’ll fight you there. You mess with my friend you mess with me.” Maybe it’s from five years in the US Army, or marching in DC for jobs and freedom or maybe serving as an international representative of United Steelworkers. Gomes is loyal.
Ed Gomes is respected among his constituents and voter results in precincts such as Wilbur Cross and Hallen validate his work on behalf of candidates he supports. Gomes has left his mark in state politics in ways few people know. In 2002 Gomes legally challenged Connecticut’s discriminatory delegate primary system that catered to party insiders. He was a key witness before US District Judge Peter Dorsey whose ruling allows candidates for state office to petition their way onto the ballot if they fail to receive 15 percent of convention support. Ed Gomes will be a factor in the 2011 mayoral primary.
In 2007 Gomes sat out the mayoral primary between Bill Finch and Chris Caruso. Gomes and Finch have never been close irrespective of Gomes’ fondness for Bill’s father, a fellow veteran. In the years since Finch became mayor Gomes’ hostility toward Finch has grown while a friendship with Caruso has blossomed. Twenty-five years ago Caruso and Gomes fought as members of the City Council. As members of the Connecticut Legislature they’re getting along just fine, and Gomes touted Caruso to be chairman of the city’s legislative delegation for the upcoming session. This poses a problem for Finch if Caruso decides to challenge him, and Gomes supports Caruso, something Finch has acknowledged publicly. Anytime Finch has the opportunity to praise Ed Gomes at a public forum he will.
“And I want to thank my friend Ed Gomes.”
“How about a hand for State Senator Ed Gomes?”
“Let’s thank Ed Gomes for all he has done for Bridgeport.”
Finch knows he and Gomes are not friends. His praise hopes to defang Gomes, chill him out, give him some pause. Talk to Ed Gomes and he’ll tell you straight out, “Bill Finch isn’t my friend and I’m not his friend.” Tuesday night Ed Gomes stepped up to speak at the public forum of the mayor’s appointed election committee examining the Election Day ballot blunder. Gomes doesn’t song and dance. He gets to the point. “Somebody screwed up here,” he told the audience. Gomes is suspicious of just about anything Finch does including the informal committee that the mayor empaneled. Gomes says Finch’s word is no good–with taxpayers, city unions, employees, state legislators, and he made note of that Tuesday night with a crack about the tax cut the mayor had pledged as a candidate that never materialized.
Eddie is of Cape Verdean ancestry and the lone formally announced Democrat for mayor John Gomes was born there. John’s family settled in Bridgeport. Hey Eddie, who you supporting for mayor? I ask.
“I’ll be supporting someone for mayor and it won’t be Finch,” says Eddie with a sneer.
Will it be Caruso? Eddie cracks that crocodile smile. Stay tuned.
Ed is a real Crocodile Dundee!
Gomes is like the Green Hornet and Walsh is Kato!
UOB is referring to Gomes’ ally City Councilman Bob Walsh.
I thought Walsh was “The Troll?”
Walsh might think calling him Kato is an insult to Trolls. What would Bruce Lee think?
Very nice guy Mr. Gomes ~~~ whether he goes Caruso or Jr. John BPT WINS!!!!!!!!!
I met Ed Gomes at a City Council meeting once and found him to be more sincere than your average politician. I had thought that he and John Gomes were related and although they apparently come from the same place, I guess that’s not the case.
I first met and worked with Ed during the 1983 Tisdale campaign. He was running for City Council. I was running for the BOE. We both won. Charlie lost.
Ed has been a good friend ever since. Ed is the real deal. “What you see is what you get” and what you get with Ed is a straight-talking, no-BS advocate for the people of Bpt–particularly the poor and working people.
The people of Bridgeport could use someone who is an advocate for what’s best for the people, instead of what’s best for themselves and their cronies. Maybe Ed should run for mayor!
Ed’s no spring chicken and he’s too nice a guy.
Whereas the donj tale of the tape ~~~ age, height, weight, polling #s in 1990 in Black Rock.
I do believe Ed Gomes did pick up some votes in Black Rock this past election even though he wasn’t running there thanks to Santa Ayala and the voting snafu.
Hey TC,
They give you no respect. The Take Back the Neighborhood walk was supposed to be up by Hooker School tonight.
This just in …
The Take Back the Neighborhoods walks have been rescheduled until the weather breaks … We are sorry for the confusion … hope to see you all in the spring.
Deborah Thomas-Sims
Assistant Special Projects Manager
Bridgeport Police Department
Community Services
203-576-8278
They never really did any PR work on this walk the streets BS. Take Back the Neighborhoods? What a joke. Hey chief thought you would like to know we had 3 more businesses on Huntington Turnpike broken into in the past 2 weeks. Don’t worry chief we know you won’t catch the thieves.
The people in this district are well aware that the PD does NOT give a shit about what happens up here. Speeding cars, burglaries, traffic signals ignored, you name it we have got it here. We have gone from a sleepy village-type atmosphere to a hell hole. Great Community Policing.
I can tell you exactly what Gaudett will tell us.
We are on patrol here constantly. If you have a problem we now have a SET unit and here is the number for LT blah blah. Call him and this unit will respond. That is pure and utter bullshit.
Hey chief the burglars and thieve don’t stop because it’s cold out. You scheduled this and them backed out. What happened, did another tree get cut down in Black Rock and you were needed there?
The bigger question is WHY is Deborah Sims still here? That’s a NAGE position. Not ONE NAGE worker should be laid off as long as Sims is still working.
Damn ~~~ someone get TC’s Depends in a bunch???
It is nice to see Eddie so toothsome, giving other people high blood pressure.
*** 27 bills introduced by Mr. Gomes while in the senate, most pertaining to union workers, education, vets, housing, job growth, just to name a few. He certainly seems to be representing the working class from blue collar on down. Keep up the good work Mr. Gomes! *** Back to Basics. ***
Someone mention Bruce Lee? He’s alive and well waiting out the changing of the guard next year. Soon we’ll be planning the inauguration of a new mayor, one who will undoubtedly rid us of the idiots who have been dragging us down for years. Speaking of which, Charlie Carroll has now taken over the Aging Dept where Rose Hoyt has reigned queen since the Ganim Days. I daresay this is one arrangement that will end quickly when Caruso and/or Gomes takes over.
Ed Gomes is an honorable man who fights for the working people. He will have a great influence on the next candidate for mayor and I for one am looking forward to it. Let the games begin.
I don’t know of anyone in Bridgeport who has worked as hard and as long and fought more for working people in Bridgeport than Ed Gomes. Ed’s background in labor issues, the working condition of workers, workers wages and benefits and his work with civil rights is something that most people are not aware of.
I have always respected Ed for his honesty. I would tell Ed whenever we were in the company of others that when I grow up that I wanted to be like Ed. He would then say with that big smile, well you don’t expect much and that I could do a whole lot better.
Ed is a good, honest man.