The mayoral election in Bridgeport, Connecticut has been tumultuous, with incumbent Democrat Joe Ganim facing challenger John Gomes for the fourth time in five months. The original primary results were thrown out due to evidence of ballot tampering by Ganim supporters. Despite this controversy, Ganim narrowly defeated Gomes in the subsequent primary and general elections. Ganim, who previously served as mayor from 1991 to 2003 before a stint in federal prison, has won endorsements from key figures like Governor Ned Lamont.
Bridgeport is a Democratic stronghold, with President Joe Biden winning the city with 79% of the vote in 2020. The upcoming general election for mayor will take place on Tuesday, with Ganim, Gomes, and Republican nominee David Herz on the ballot. Turnout for special elections tends to be lower than regular elections, with about 17% of registered voters participating in the November general election. In previous contests between Ganim and Gomes, the margin of victory has been narrow, with just a few hundred votes separating the candidates.
In past races, the release of results has followed a pattern of Election Day votes being counted first, followed by absentee ballots. Gomes was initially ahead in votes cast on Election Day, but Ganim pulled ahead once absentee votes were tallied. The AP did not call a winner in the November general election due to the impending new primary. With absentee votes playing a significant role in the drama, the outcome of the upcoming general election may not be clear until all ballots are counted.
Connecticut law mandates an automatic recount if the margin of victory is less than 0.5% of total votes cast or fewer than 20 votes but not more than 1,000 votes. The AP will only declare a winner when it is certain that no trailing candidate can close the gap. As of late October, there were over 81,000 registered voters in Bridgeport, with Democrats making up the majority. Turnout for the 2023 mayoral general election was 17%, with a significant portion of votes being cast before Election Day.
In the re-do mayoral primary held in January, the AP reported results at 8:08 p.m. ET, with the final tally completed by 11:42 p.m. ET. Given the competitive nature of the race and the importance of absentee ballots, the outcome of the upcoming general election may take time to determine. The AP will continue to cover any developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory, until a winner can be declared. With a history of close races and contentious primaries, the mayoral election in Bridgeport remains a closely watched and highly anticipated event.
