One of Bridgeport's top politicians is playing a key role in the city's upcoming mayoral race.

Republican Committee Chair Rick Torres has backed Democratic state Representative Chris Caruso for mayor. Torres says he's backing Caruso because he's the most honest candidate and can help stop the political status quo in the Park City.

Torres has been encouraging Republicans to switch their voter registration in order to vote in the Democratic primary in September. He says the focus now is the unaffiliated voters, who have until September 10 to register with a party.

Bridgeport has more than 18,000 unaffiliated voters, compared to 4,700 Republicans and 34,000 Democrats. Traditionally, the winner of the Democratic primary has gone on to win the mayoral election simply based on the party breakdown.

The primary battle is mainly between Caruso and state Senator Bill Finch, who is expected to get the Democratic Committee's endorsement.