BRIDGEPORT — The deadline for submitting petitions to participate in either the Democratic primary Sept. 13 or the general election Nov. 8 was Wednesday and when the dust settled two things were clear: Mayor Bill Finch will face off with Mary-Jane Foster for the Democratic nomination — but not with former mayor Joseph Ganim.
For months, Ganim has been making the rounds, speaking out against Finch, handing out money to help the city’s youth, meeting with Democratic Town Committee chairman Mario Testa and even making a brief appearance at the DTC endorsement meeting last month.
Typical candidate behavior? Apparently not. He did not submit the required 2,100 signatures to run in the Democratic primary nor the required 126 signatures to run in November.
Foster, on the other hand, handed in approximately 3,500 signatures well before the 4 p.m. deadline. She was the only Democratic to turn in petitions for mayor, meaning she will go head-to-head with Finch in a few weeks if her signatures are verified.
The winner of that race will run against endorsed Republican Rick Torres and longtime activist Jeff Kohut, who submitted petitions to run as an independent in the November race.
Meanwhile, petitions were also turned in for a seat on the City Council, for the job of city sheriff and yes even for a seat on the Board of Education, should the many lawsuits now going through the court system overturn the recent state intervention. When those signatures are verified I will post the names (there are a lot!!). Stay tuned!