Democrats have five candidates in the race for mayor heading toward a likely party primary in September. What about the Republicans? Two-time mayoral candidate Enrique Torres, the lone GOP member on the City Council, is seriously considering it, according to his peeps. Whether you wanna hug him or slug him, Torres’ wonkish persona stirs passion.
Torres will make a decision within the next week about getting in. This is not a predictable mayoral cycle, whether the Democratic Party outcome or matchups in the general election.
Former Mayor Joe Ganim’s entry into the race creates a whole lot of what-ifs. What if Ganim wins the party primary? Will Mayor Bill Finch anticipate Plan B and run in the general election as a petitioning candidate that opens up the voter pool to unaffiliated? Will Ganim do the same if the primary is close? Mary-Jane Foster as well? School board member Howard Gardner and East End Democratic Town Committee member Charlie Coviello are also in the race. The latter two are resource-challenged and lesser known. But does their mere presence in the primary, if they can petition their way onto the ballot, have an impact on the outcome? Where do they take votes? From Foster, Finch or Ganim?
Torres had a puncher’s chance of winning the mayoralty in 2003 following the Ganim corruption fallout that elevated City Council President John Fabrizi to the mayoralty and a competitive general election win over Torres.
Torres challenged Finch in 2011, winning about 30 percent of the vote with limited financial resources. Two years later Torres broke through electorally winning a seat on the City Council in the high-turnout Black Rock district. Torres lost a close special election in February to Steve Stafstrom to fill the State House seat of Auden Grogins who was appointed to the state bench.
Republicans are frustrated to win a citywide race outnumbered by Dems 10 to 1. But Torres’ City Council presence in 2013 aided Joe Larcheveque’s victory to claim one of two minority party school board slots on the ballot. About one-third of Larcheveque’s citywide total came from Black Rock.
If Torres runs for mayor, who will the Republicans put up for City Council?
This election cycle is one gigantic swirl of unknowns. What if any multiple combination of Finch, Foster and Ganim end up in the general election field carving up Democratic votes? That’s a leap-of-faith recipe that Torres, the owner of the popular Harborview Market, hopes for in November.
He WILL be a GREAT mayor. Go Rick, Go. I hope you can “stomach” another one of these criminal elections.
Ha ha. What public office will he run for next?
Oy veh!
Anyone who is encouraging Torres to run is no friend to this City.
He has not got a snowball’s chance in hell. It will never happen and all running for will do is send him packing back to Barbados or wherever he took off to after he lost the last election.
Don’t indulge him. Do not encourage it. Just say no.
Rick is a smart man, as is John Marshall Lee and together they would be a force of nature on the City Council.
The RTC has the power not to endorse, and they should wield it.
Are you saying no two-party system, or just not for Bridgeport?
This is me saying no to the two-party system: The two-party system sucks.
This is me saying no to the two-party system in Bridgeport: The two-party system is not for Bridgeport.
The comment above said neither of those things. You have a right to your perception and spin. So spin away.
Not spinning, just wondering why you think it is not a good idea for Torres to run.
The Republican party is dead in Bridgeport and if Torres runs it’s just a waste of time.
I am dead?
Yes, if you run as a Republican.
Hahaha! Good one.
So what everyone is saying is there is no room for passion, honesty and integrity in Bridgeport politics?
In politics the name of the game is fifty percent plus one, that’s all you need.
Quentin,
Would it not be wonderful if every candidate for elective office in Bridgeport (or most of them anyway) were known and respected for their passion, honesty and integrity? By the way if you were to throw in a few more qualifiers like community organization experience, awareness of the financial situation of the City, and a practical approach to solving long-term and widespread community issues, I would agree.
However, at some point the “newbies” may end up losing votes to other qualified folks like them and the entrenched incumbents continue to win the day. No reason not to run if the passion and fight to reform is present, but it does give one pause when there are many candidates out there already, a few who may claim this high-ground position to attract informed voters who have seen the Finch show and have declared, “Enough.” From May to September we will listen to the music. Time will tell.
If you believe Rick has accomplished nothing on the council then he should definitely run for mayor. If you believe he has done some good or better yet can accomplish more then he should not run.
If he runs he will have to give up his council seat, so which way is B’port better served?
First he has said publicly already he does not plan to run for mayor. He doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in July of winning. He has done absolutely nothing during his first elected position except complain he can’t get anything done. Anyone who would support that, and who wants to sell their house, is clearly, clearly, not of right mind.
He has wasted his time in office by doing nothing except show his poor working relationships with the city equates to the city not doing anything for his constituency.
The best thing that could happen for this city is for the Republican party to deliver a candidate who has the balls to put the city into bankruptcy and get the pensions off the backs of the taxpayers–that are running this city into the dirt.
A lower bond rating for a temporary period of time can’t be any worse than our dwindling property values already. We need someone to come in and do the job that needs to be done. File, be done with it, and move along. Get that weight off the neck of the taxpayer and bring back the city into working order. We will shortly become a ghost town if things continue the way they are.
Steve,
As long as people only complain about taxes and fail to inform themselves about the City as a fiscal player and what the money buys, week in and week out, and then fail to vote, attend a meeting to see how their Council representatives are doing, well we won’t be a ghost town as long as there is someone to buy your home for less than you paid for it. But ghost expenses in the budget and ghost positions on the City side can be expected when Sherwood Forest is not challenged to produce and disseminate different monthly fiscal reports with employment stats and vacancies by the side of each department as of the date of the report. And while he is at it, the Grants budget that works for citizens and programs in the City, not of our direct payment, but maybe we should thank Congress for their largesse. Or at least know what comes in like that $245,000 armored personnel carrier four years ago. Leadership in the City, or boys with toys? Time will tell.
I certainly hope so! It’s about time we ended the One Party Rule in Bridgeport!!! What kind of democracy is that??? If you want any say in Bridgeport at all, you are forced to register Democrat so you can at least vote in the Democratic Primary for WHICH DEMOCRAT will be the next Mayor.
And don’t tell me Torres cannot possibly win. If the majority of voters are “unaffiliated,” then he certainly CAN win; that is if unaffiliated voters get out to vote!
Unfortunately, many people treat elections like horse races. They wait to see who’s winning and then vote for the “winner.” Does that make any sense???
The big news would be if there were an election and he didn’t run!