John Gomes formally announces he will remain in the Bridgeport mayoral race

Gomes lost to Ganim in the court-ordered second primary, but Gomes said on Wednesday he is determined to fight until the end.

Nicole Alarcon Soares

Jan 31, 2024, 10:42 PM

Updated 317 days ago

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John Gomes formally announced on Wednesday that he will remain in the Bridgeport race for mayor. 
He competed against Mayor Joe Ganim in a rematch on Feb. 27. 
Gomes lost to Ganim in the court-ordered second primary, but Gomes said on Wednesday he is determined to fight until the end.
"We are reaching out to all voters of Bridgeport. We go out there, we do what we can, and we communicate our pillar, our message to the voters of Bridgeport and we pray for the best outcome possible. We can't guarantee the future,” said Gomes.
The announcement comes after News 12 Connecticut obtained a letter from the Bridgeport Independent Party asked Bridgeport mayoral candidate John Gomes to end his campaign for mayor.
Gomes made the announcement in a room full of supporters and media, who've been following the race ever since Superior Court Judge William Clark ordered a second round of voting after ruling the first round was tainted by "ballot irregularities."
Bridgeport Independent party officials have asked Gomes not to use their party line in a redo of the November election next month.
They say Gomes has refused to engage party officials about whether he should continue his campaign.
Mayor Joe Ganim said he's won three times now and a fourth round of voting will cost taxpayers another $120,000.
But Gomes said he wants to give voters a chance to make the final decision in what started out as a four-way race.
"Whether it's a sunny day, God willing, whether it's snowing or raining, we'll do our part to ensure every voter has the opportunity to vote and to send even a more powerful message to those that would like to tear down our progress," said Gomes.
Lamond Daniels has formally withdrawn from the race, but Republican David Herz has said he will only drop out if Gomes does as well.