From Bridgeport Generation Now Votes:
The Unrig Bridgeport Coalition‘s first-ever slate of endorsed candidates won elections in five city council races and one Board of Education race on Tuesday, November 2nd, representing a new group of elected leaders committed to advancing a bold set of progressive policy changes in the city of Bridgeport.
The Unrig Bridgeport Coalition’s endorsed slate of winning candidates includes:
— Tyler Mack | City Council | 131st District | Democrat
— Jorge Cruz | City Council | 131st District | Democrat
— Aikeem Boyd | City Council | 133rd District | Democrat
— Aidee Nieves | City Council | 137th District | Democrat
— Maria Valle | City Council | 137th District | Democrat
— Joseph Sokolovic | Board of Education | Working Families PartyAs candidates, each participated in the Unrig Bridgeport Coalition’s endorsement process by completing a candidate questionnaire, participating in a candidate interview, and pledged to The People’s Platform–a transformative vision of a “Beloved Bridgeport” and comprehensive 30-point plan that offers a positive vision of justice and equity initiatives, good government proposals, pro-democracy measures, and takes on Bridgeport’s culture of systemic corruption.
“We congratulate the newly elected City Council and Board of Education members on their impressive victories and for earning the trust of Bridgeport voters,” said Vanessa Liles, Co-Project Director of PT Partners and an Unrig Bridgeport Coalition member. Liles continued, “The wins of Aikeem Boyd, Jorge Cruz, Tyler Mack, Aidee Nieves, Maria Valle and Joe Sokolovic represent a critical step towards ensuring that Bridgeport has the elected leadership in place to help make our collective vision of a more just, equitable, and livable city a reality.”
“During the 2021 elections, the Unrig Bridgeport Coalition engaged with thousands of Bridgeport voters about the issues that matter to them and our collective vision for positive change. We hit the streets, knocked doors, made phone calls, and got out the vote for our endorsed slate of candidates who pledged to work on The People’s Platform,” said Gemeem Davis and Callie Gale Heilmann, Co-Directors of Bridgeport Generation Now Votes and members of the #UnrigBridgeport Coalition. They continued, “We are proud to have supported such a diverse group of candidates in the 2021 elections, and we stand ready and eager to partner with them to help fix Bridgeport’s broken democracy and advance The People’s Platform.”
“As these newly elected city council members prepare to take their oath of office next month, the Unrig Bridgeport Coalition looks forward to working with them to deliver on what Bridgeport voters demand and deserve: a city government that is free from systemic corruption, that provides real policy solutions to our city’s problems, and that delivers the high-quality city services we need and deserve,” said Rev. D. Stanley Lord, president of the Greater Bridgeport NAACP and an #UnrigBridgeport Coalition member.
All Bridgeport City Council members will take their oath of office on December 1st.
About the Unrig Bridgeport Coalition and Bridgeport Generation Now Votes:
The UNRIG BRIDGEPORT COALITION is made of the following partner organizations: Bridgeport Generation Now Votes, Bridgeport Strong, Connecticut Citizen Action Group (CCAG), The Greater Bridgeport NAACP, Greater Bridgeport Ed Gomes Black Democratic Club, Make The Road CT Action, PT Partners, SEIU 1199 New England as well as other community leaders and Bridgeport residents.BRIDGEPORT GENERATION NOW VOTES is on a mission to increase voter turnout in Bridgeport elections. Key to that work is strengthening democracy, fighting corruption, and expanding and protecting voting rights for the people of Bridgeport. We are a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(4) affiliate of Bridgeport Generation Now, working on legislation, litigation, and grassroots organizing. For more information, go to bptgennowvotes.org and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Of that group I only see 4 who I believe will be an assess to the city, Aikeem Boyd, Tyler Mack, Maria Valle and Joe Sokolovic. Boyd and Mack should be in the leadership.
Thank You Gen Now Votes and all their volunteers. You were an integral part of my not only my victory, but a victory for the City of Bridgeport.
Thank you sir.
To be sure, their “endorsement” likely had no more to do with those candidates winning than the endorsements of the Connecticut Post have with their choices usually not winning. In any event, they pretty much endorsed the status quo at a time when most voters are looking for change in a big way… Indeed; it is fairly difficult to see much core-value in status-quo endorsements in an off-year municipal election with a turnout of less than 10%(!)…
How many readers of OIB who reside in Bridgeport and are registered to vote DID NOT VOTE this past week? If the turnout was less than 10% as has been reported, that means most of your neighbors are not “looking for change in a big way”, doesn’t it? True or not??
Above it is reported that several organizations did collaborate to knock on doors, make phone calls, and all the events preparatory to a winning campaign. In my own instance I wrote checks for several campaigns, met with multiple candidates for interviews to share their stories and get them published as background statements for those unfamiliar with them, and did stand at the polls for a couple hours and voted. Little things, for certain, but if done by enough folks, the citizens become informed and more confident. New folks running in their first election present their life accomplishments thus far and a statement of integrity for the place they will hold if elected. A chance for the community? You bet.
Ganim2 is the living embodiment of the argument for status quo. Energy? He has a well paid job and two years from now is when we will know how people truly feel about change. In the meantime turkeys will be flying out of City Hall and City Council again this year, 500 of them it sounds like. To whom are they going? What is weight per bird? What is cost in total, and what bidding process was used to find the purveyor? Time will tell.