BRIDGEPORT – The results are in from yesterday’s Democratic Town Committee races! Although Unrig Bridgeport and Bridgeport Generation Now Votes did not endorse any slates, the Town Committee is an important election to know about and understand.

In the 131st City Council District in the South End and Downtown, the Row B slate of candidates -which included former City Council member Mary Bruce, retired Bridgeport Police Officer David Daniels, Co-Director of Bridgeport Generation Now Votes Gemeem Davis, and other community leaders – won at the polls but ended up losing on the absentee ballots (ABs), which overwhelmingly went to the Row C slate of candidates. This is the same disparity we saw in the 2019 mayoral primary when Mayor Joe Ganim’s campaign lost at the polls but ended up winning because of absentee ballot abuse. According to state law, it is illegal for campaign workers to be paid solely to circulate absentee ballot applications. And yet, certain campaigns in Bridgeport keep winning this way.

In the 135th Council District in the North End, Row B’s “North End United For Progess” slate won, made up of North End community leaders, including State Rep. Charlie Stallworth, local downtown arts entrepreneur Razul Branch, military veteran and local activist Pam Williams, and former candidate for City Council, Joseph Thompson (aka “Joe Grits”). The defeated Row C’s slate includes City Council member Mary McBride-Lee, who has been very public about her unwavering support of Mayor Ganim.

Finally, in the 137th Council District on the East Side, City Council President Aidee Nieves and City Council member Maria Valle’s slate decisively beat City Clerk Lydia Martinez’s slate. Interestingly, Elsie Mercado and Rosa Franco won on Nieves slate, who are the two candidates Lydia Martinez recruited to run against Nieves and Valle last year for City Council. Mercado and Franco have since rejected Martinez’s leadership and joined forces with Nieves and Valle. Lydia Martinez has been known for years for her abuse and manipulation of the absentee ballot process.

Scroll down for the full election results!

The truth is that these incredibly low-turnout elections are in fact some of the most important elections in our city! The power of the Democratic Town Committee (DTC) is that it endorses candidates for local, state, and federal office. Ideally, it also stands for big “D” Democrat ideas, policies, and platforms. Can Bridgeport’s Democratic Town Committee – which historically has been a patronage and loyalty machine – support real candidates with ideas, policies, and platforms that energize Bridgeport voters? With the 2023 Mayoral race around the corner, change coming to the Democratic Town Committee is a good thing!

👾 Did you see our new animation? 👾 In Bridgeport, there’s always some deal maker insisting we have to “play the game.” Go to 0:50 secs to see “Mario’s Game!” It’s wrong – but we don’t have to stand for it!

Images from “Only in Bridgeport”