Democratic candidates for Bridgeport mayor make their case ahead of primary

Voters in Bridgeport will be casting ballots for their mayoral candidates on Tuesday.

News 12 Staff

Sep 9, 2019, 8:24 PM

Updated 1,901 days ago

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Voters in Bridgeport will be casting ballots for their mayoral candidates on Tuesday.
Mayor Joe Ganim is running against state Sen. Marilyn Moore in the Democratic primary. Ganim spent his last day before the primary by doing some demolition work on North Main Street. He helped knock down another dilapidated building to come down under his term as mayor.
"I'm very confident that the support we've got throughout the city--people will come out and vote," Ganim said. "We'll be able to continue the progress in the city of Bridgeport."
Ganim says hundreds apartment developments are being built downtown, as well as the waterfront Steelpoint development.
Moore, who spent Monday working the phones, called the demolition a political stunt timed just before a critical primary vote.
"This should have been consistent from the day he walked into office," Moore says.
She also says that Ganim has done little to control crime and is critical of Police Chief AJ Perez.
Many voters say they think Ganim has the edge because he is more well-known in the city.
Absentee ballots could be key in the Democratic primary. So far, more than 1,500 have been cast, according to the Bridgeport Town Clerk. Most have come from neighborhoods Ganim expects to do well in, which means in-person turnout will be crucial for Moore on Tuesday.
Even if Moore loses the Democratic primary, she will still appear on the November ballot as the Working Families Party candidate. Ganim would not say if he has a back/up option.
Republicans will be voting between John Rodriguez, Ethan Book and Dishon Francis for their candidate Tuesday.