Bridgeport votes counted; Malloy the next governor

By Brittany Lyte

BRIDGEPORT — Bringing to a close a tumultuous governor’s race, weary elections officials have finished their overnight count of the long-awaited Bridgeport vote. Their unofficial tally vaults Democrat Dan Malloy  to victory over Republican Tom Foley.

Malloy received 16,932 votes while Foley got 3,874. Some 1,259 absentee ballots remain to be counted. The total erases Foley’s lead and would appear to make it difficult for him to demand a recount.

The Bridgeport vote tallies will now be submitted to Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz, who will declare the unofficial winner of the race.

The vote totals posted earlier on the Secretary of the State’s website, which include totals for all of the state’s municipalities except Bridgeport, showed that Foley leads Malloy, 556,787 to 548,378.

Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch is expected to announce the final vote totals at a news conference at 6 a.m. Friday in City Hall Annex.