In a major setback for a veteran lawmaker attempting to save his political career, a Bridgeport judge refused Tuesday to hear most of longtime state Rep. Jack Hennessy's challenge to last month's Democratic primary.

Hennessy lost to City Council member Marcus Brown by just two votes – after two recounts. Now, he wants the court to toss out at least five absentee ballots over alleged fraud.

"We can't condone forgery. We can't condone identity theft," said Maria Pereira, Hennessy's campaign manager. "And the [Connecticut] Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld the absentee ballot laws must be fully complied with."

Hennessy isn't challenging the absentee ballot themselves, but the applications voters filled out to get them. His attorney argued several ballots shouldn't be counted because someone else signed the voters' name. In two cases, it was a spouse or fiancé.

But Judge Barry Stevens ruled the ballot application issue did not rise to the level of voter fraud, suggesting Hennessy's lawyers were grasping at straws over minor technicalities. He noted the voters signed their actual ballots themselves.

"I’m not prepared to disenfranchise a voter for doing what the voter was supposed to do,” Judge Stevens said.

Brown's campaign agreed.

"We haven't heard any evidence of voter fraud," said Brown campaign manager Tom Gaudett. "In fact, we've heard the exact opposite, which is, we have spouses that are signing applications from their other spouse."

The case will resume Thursday morning when Hennessy's team plans to present voting totals from primary night on Aug. 9. 

Despite Tuesday's legal setback, Pereira promised the legal battle will continue – even with the election less than two months away.

"If he certifies this election for Marcus Brown, we are going to appeal," she said.

Time is quickly winding down to hold a new Democratic primary. The secretary of the state is supposed to send out final ballots to the Bridgeport Town Clerk by Thursday, the day the hearing resumes.