“We are in this situation because a judge ordered two new elections, and that’s because of corruption, voter suppression and civil rights violations,” Mr. Gomes told The Epoch Times. “So many voters feel disenfranchised. So, there is pretty much everything at stake.”
On Nov. 7, 2023, Mr. Ganim won the general election with 5,723 votes, while Mr. Gomes garnered 5,548 votes, and Republican candidate David Herz got 765 votes out of more than 13,000 ballots cast.
In January’s primary election, Mr. Ganim garnered 4,956 compared with 3,802 votes for Mr. Gomes.
If elected today, Mr. Gomes is vowing to execute a forensic audit to assess the financial stability or instability of the city.
“It’s about working with the community to re-energize, invigorate, and create hope not only for the employees of the city, but for the people,” Mr. Gomes said.
Mr. Ganim and Mr. Gomes are both Democrats. However, Mr. Gomes is running as an independent. This morning, he greeted voters, such as Maria Pires, at the John Winthrop Elementary School on Ekart Street.
Rudolph Riley, 60, who has voted all four times, is tired of elections, but he took time off from work to vote again at Wilbur Cross Elementary School on Reservoir Avenue.
“I came out to support my candidate,” Mr. Riley told The Epoch Times. “The roads are very bad. We’re looking for better things. It’s time for a change.”
April Gonzalez, 50, is a registered Republican who wasn’t able to vote in the primary.
“This is my first time voting,” Ms. Gonzalez told The Epoch Times. “I’m choosing the lesser of two evils at this point. I think Bridgeport’s really due for a change. There’s not a lot of transparency of what’s going on and not a lot of explanations for what’s transpired with some of the things people are questioning.”
Bridgeport has 42,000 Democrats, 22,000 unaffiliated voters, and 4,700 Republicans.
Republican candidate David Herz, who was on the ballot in November 2023 and is on the ballot now, was also campaigning at Winthrop Elementary School.
“It’s difficult to navigate the bureaucracy in Bridgeport.” Mr. Herz told The Epoch Times. “Things run slower, and there are entrenched bureaucracies. Getting rid of the current mayor is an opportunity for the next mayor to clean house to get the parts that aren’t working out, whether that’s me or Gomes.”
For example, Bridgeport is the largest city in the state, with a population of 148,000. However, there is no hotel within the city limit of Bridgeport.
If elected, Mr. Herz says he would start by repurposing Bridgeport’s former manufacturing spaces.
“We have hundreds of small manufacturers,” he told The Epoch Times. “What do we do to incentivize bringing business back to Bridgeport?”
Mr. Ganim held a press conference at Wilbur Cross Elementary School while greeting voters.
He called the election challenging but was hopeful because of the sunny weather.
“It’s a rarity to have an election in February, but the Lord has blessed us in that way with a beautiful day, and I see that as an encouragement,” Mr. Ganim told The Epoch Times.
