The 2023/24 election season hasn’t been easy. Our organization along with the Unrig Bridgeport coalition endorsed Senator Marilyn Moore for mayor because she is the preeminent independent Democrat in Bridgeport with a proven track record of challenging the political machine (and winning) and standing up for the issues we care about; voting rights, public safety, education, healthcare, housing and so much more. She got into politics to do the people’s work. And – we the people – were left without a progressive option when she did not qualify for the September 12 primary and the CT Working Families Party did not endorse her for the November 2023 general election.

Care About Democracy? It’s Time To Come Together

So much has happened since that first primary that’s tested our resolve to stay the course and demand real change for the people of Bridgeport. The national attention surrounding the now infamous absentee ballot stuffing scandal is enough to make you want to hide and pull the covers over your head. It’s embarrassing.

After nearly 8 years of organizing, we’re not new to this. We knew going into the municipal election that the Ganim campaign would attempt to steal the election via absentee ballots just as they did in 2019. We just didn’t know exactly how they would do it. So, when the John Gomes’ campaign released leaked surveillance video of multiple political operatives illegally stuffing stacks of absentee ballots into drop boxes around the city we got our answer. We now had undeniable proof of what we had been saying for years, our local democracy is broken and it’s going be a heavy lift to fix it. The issue now is how? Surely everyone who is concerned about the state of our democracy, in Bridgeport, and across the state will have to come together at the ballot box and in the state legislature to ensure absentee ballot abuse, manipulation and fraud are a thing of the past.

Voting Matters

One thing we can’t do is abdicate our responsibility and commitment to voting rights. Therefore we are calling on every voter in Bridgeport to go the polls on Tues., January 23rd to send a strong message to Joe Ganim and his political operatives – you can’t continue to steal elections and get rewarded for it. Enough is enough!

On January 23, we have the opportunity to vote in one of the most consequential elections in Bridgeport’s history. The Special Democratic Primary Election was ordered by Superior Court Judge William Clark to make right what Ganim and his crew did wrong. John Gomes won the September 12 Primary at the polls but only “lost” the election due to Ganim and his machine’s illegal absentee ballot operation. On Election Day, if enough Bridgeport voters show up in-person at the polls, we can stop Ganim in his tracks and free ourselves from the grip he’s had on our city.

Election stealing and corruption really does not have to define us in Bridgeport, it is just in the way. Joe Ganim has been the mayor of Bridgeport for the better part of 30 years and we’ve continued to see a decline in our quality of life. Our schools are underfunded and failing, driving down our roads is like maneuvering a wild obstacle course due to all the cracks and potholes, and economic development is barely existent except for a few sweetheart deals for Ganim’s friends. The rest are “pie in the sky” projects that he dreams up to fool people every four years into believing he’s doing something. But, we know from his track record that he is a no-show mayor.

No Need To Be Afraid Of Change, Voters Have The Power!

Ganim lost the walk-in vote in 2019 to Marilyn Moore and twice in 2023 to John Gomes. It is clear that Bridgeport voters are ready for change. John Gomes is the first to tell you he is not perfect. However, he has promised to work hard every day to prove that he cares for the city he grew up in, has the skills to get things done and he has proven through this campaign that he has the courage to stand up to the political machine. He is, in fact, the only mayoral candidate in the 2023 field that has taken this fight all the way to the finish line. 

We don’t have to be afraid of change, because we the voters have the power! Just like we did with the Ganim administration, we will hold the Gomes administration accountable, too. And if Gomes doesn’t deliver, we’ll have an opportunity to replace him in 4 years. After Ganim has had 30 years of chances, why wouldn’t we give John Gomes just one?

It is time to move on. We need to do what’s best for Bridgeport. Vote JOHN GOMES for mayor, January 23rd. Democracy is indeed on the ballot.