Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont (D) has endorsed Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim (D) ahead of next Tuesday’s election.
Ganim is running for his eighth term as mayor. The election has been plagued with reports of absentee ballot fraud, leading a judge to declare a redo of the city’s September Democratic primary.
Lamont and Ganim spoke to reporters in Bridgeport on Tuesday morning.
“We have a good, strong working relationship for the last five years now, right Joe? We've gotten a lot done here in Bridgeport,” Lamont said. “We're just getting started. I think the people of Bridgeport will be well served to send him back for another four years. I support him.”
Ganim called the endorsement “critically important.”
“I've worked with five governors, I've had the best working relationship with you, governor,” Ganim said. “You've been, frankly, the most caring and committed, not just in Bridgeport, but you’ve shown proven results. And it's my pleasure and honor to say thank you for your support and endorsement.”
Ganim will face challenger John Gomes for the fourth time in the last five months next week. Republican David Hertz is also running.
"While I was disappointed in the governor's decision to cave to Bridgeport DTC Chairman's Mario Testa's demands to endorse the status quo in Bridgeport, I was not surprised given the governor used the same Ganim political vendor Park City Consulting LLC for Get Out The Vote efforts in his 2022 re-election campaign," Gomes said in a statement.
Ganim secured the Democratic nomineein January, beating Gomes by more than 1,000 votes. Gomes is now running against Ganim as an independent.
This story has been updated with a statement from the Gomes campaign.
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