John Gomes, a former aide to Bridgeport Democratic Mayor Joe Ganim, has announced that he is challenging his former boss for mayor.
Gomes is a Bridgeport Democrat who supported Ganim’s comeback as mayor in 2015 and reelection in 2019. He was rewarded with the key position of acting chief administration officer where he was responsible for cutting several municipal jobs.
But Gomes' position was eliminated in July. It was part of Ganim’s restructuring of the city government in which Gomes was the only city employee let go.
Gomes accused Ganim of firing him because he had indicated an interest in running for mayor.
A member of the city’s Cape Verdean community, he is running to create a more inclusive city government, Gomes said to supporters after submitting his paperwork to run for mayor at city hall on Thursday.
“It’s a campaign where we are going to walk the streets, wear out some shoes. We are going to have blisters on our knuckles but we are going to carry the message that we are here for one Bridgeport,” he said.
He also wants to spur economic growth in the city. “We need to put shovels in the ground, cranes in the air, to create a consistent stable economic development for the city of Bridgeport,” Gomes said.
Gomes is the second person to express an interest in challenging Ganim. The other is Lamond Daniels, who was the director of neighborhood initiatives for former Mayor Bill Finch.
