Incumbent Joe Ganim has declared victory in Bridgeport's mayoral primary do-over, but challenger John Gomes said he will not concede until all of the ballots are counted.
In a speech about an hour after polls closed, Ganim said about 1,000 more voters came out and cast their ballots.
"Our residents came out again and again and again, and what did they say? Joe Ganim!" Communications Director Rowena White said.
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There is no official vote from the Secretary of the State, and Ganim has not officially been declared winner. Challenger John Gomes has also not conceded.
"This is a moment for all of us who've worked so hard to reach out to the people that we serve in the city of Bridgeport, and to remind them how important it is to come out and vote," Ganim said.
In a speech after Ganim declared victory, Gomes said he will not concede and he will wait until all of the votes are counted.
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"Obviously, the numbers we see in front of us, we didn't expect," Gomes said. "We are not defeated. We have challenged the status quo and nothing will be the same politically."
He went on to say that he and his campaign will sit down and evaluate what has happened.
The candidates for the city’s mayoral seat, Ganim and Gomes, voted early in the morning.
“This is an important day to come out and vote, Bridgeport’s future, our future, how it affects people's lives in Bridgeport hangs in the ballots,” Ganim said.
A judge ordered a democratic mayoral primary after a video surfaced, appearing to show a city hall employee and Ganim supporter making several drops into an absentee ballot box ahead of September’s primary.
Since then, both candidates have accused each other’s staff of engaging in misconduct.
“The only way for us to restore Bridgeport, not only today but moving forward, is coming out to vote and we have to show up in numbers,” Gomes said.
A week before Tuesday’s primary, the Secretary of the State filed a complaint that a person not registered with the town clerk’s office was circulating absentee ballot applications.
“There are many of us trying to make sure the processes are in place to ensure that their votes count and that they are cast free of any interference,” Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas said. “We have modified existing procedures, and we have completed training of election staff. We have shared educational information with the campaigns so that no one can plead ignorance of the law.”
Election fraud can be reported to the CT Election Day Hotline at 1-866-733-2463.
