Bridgeport residents reelected Mayor Joe Ganim on Feb. 27 despite allegations of fraud in previous elections and accusations of corruption against him.
With more than 95 percent of the vote in, Mr. Gamin was declared the victor after garnering 6,356 votes or 59 percent of the general election vote compared to his challenger, fellow Democrat John Gomes’ 4,138 votes or 38.4 percent, according to New York Times election results.
Mr. Gomes stopped short of conceding when he said his journey had ended with the election.
“The fight and the movement will continue and I mean that in the most positive and respectful way possible,” he told his supporters at O’Manel Restaurant. “Our fight is about restoring integrity within the democratic system and within the city of Bridgeport.”
Bridgeport has 42,000 Democrats, 22,000 unaffiliated voters, and 4,700 Republicans.
“We stand here more proud than ever because we took it to the end,” Mr. Gomes said. “We did not sell out. We did not take the highest bidder. I can walk with my shoulders back and my head high. My heart is clean and my conscience is on point.”
Republican candidate David Herz was also on the ballot. He collected 2.6 percent of the 10,777 votes.
City Councilman Jorge Cruz (D-131 District) characterized the election as a very unfortunate defeat.
“Nevertheless, we stand with John Gomes,” Mr. Cruz told The Epoch Times. “He ran a decent, humble campaign. He kept it clean and it’s unfortunate how the other side disrespected John Gomes and his supporters.”
Councilman Jorge Cruz on Feb. 27, 2024, at O'Manel Restaurant. Juliette Fairley
Mr. Gomes has been challenging Mayor Ganim since Connecticut Superior Court Judge William Clark overturned last year’s Sept. 12 Democrat primary based on alleged evidence of fraud.
When asked if he would now work with Mr. Ganim, Mr. Gomes questioned whether it was possible.
“My interest is in the wellbeing of Bridgeport but when you talk about crimes, voter suppression, and violating our civil rights, and yet nothing, absolutely nothing, has been done, how can I work with that side,” he said.
The allegations of fraud in previous elections include accusations that Wanda Geter-Pataky did not register as an absentee ballot distributor or sign any applications, which is required to assist voters.
Candidate John Gomes at a watch party in Bridgeport, Conn., on Feb. 27, 2024, where he learned Joe Ganim was reelected. Juliette Fairley/The Epoch Times
She also was not designated by absentee voters to drop off absentee ballots but was allegedly captured on video dropping off multiple absentee ballots, on multiple occasions, into drop boxes. Ms. Geter-Pataky reportedly declined to testify and asserted her Fifth Amendment rights.
“I think it is reprehensible that the state has not brought charges against this woman or that we haven’t heard more about an investigation into that,” Mr. Herz told The Epoch Times.
“I don’t know if she was guilty or not. I'd like to know the state prosecutor’s thinking and why we haven’t had more concern about that.”
Joe Ganim at Wilbur Cross Elementary School on Election Day, Feb. 26, 2024. Juliette Fairley/The Epoch Times
Councilman Cruz added that he hoped the State Election Enforcement Commission (SEEC) would now do its job.
“They saw the videos,” Mr. Cruz said. “They have received multiple reports, multiple complaints from all of the elections. They need to step it up.”
Mr. Ganim is in his seventh term as mayor. He served from 1991 to 2003 and was reelected in 2015. When asked about concerns that the election wasn’t secure, Mr. Ganim mentioned that the Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas had implemented a number of measures that “we called for and we’ve seen validation of that in the last two election cycles.”
