Sen. Ed Gomes can’t accept public financing if he pursues Working Family Party candidacy

Joshua Foley, staff attorney for the State Elections Enforcement Commission, answered a semi-tough question from the Blogster this afternoon.

Since Sen. Edwin A. Gomes lost the Bridgeport Democratic primary last night, could he accept the active Working Family cross endorsement for an independent run and still be eligible for public funding?

Nope.

It seems that state lawmakers anticipated this back in the 2005 enabling legislation, enacting a “sore loser” provision for primaries. Gomes, in his filing documents declared himself a Democrat in a Democratic-dominated district.

“He can’t get any more money,” Foley said. Gomes and anybody else who lost a primary and took Citizens Election Program money, are shut off from further funds.

Gomes’s Democratic declaration is listed on a Form 10 filing in the SEEC online records.