Longtime Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim faces a Democratic primary challenge Tuesday as he seeks a seventh term in office.
Ganim’s challenger is State Senator Marilyn Moore. If elected, she would be the first black woman to lead Connecticut’s largest city.
Ganim served as mayor from 1991 to 2003 and resigned after he was convicted on corruption charges. He spent seven years in federal prison, and drew national attention when he retook the mayor’s office in 2015.
Three Republicans — John Rodriguez, Dishon Francis and Ethan Book — seek nomination in the heavily Democratic city.
Also on Tuesday, Democratic New Haven Mayor Toni Harp faces a primary challenger, her toughest in her six years in office.
Harp faces former New Haven Alderman Justin Elicker in a rematch of their 2013 race for the Mayor’s Office. Harp won nearly 50% of the vote to Elicker’s 23% that year.
Elicker’s campaign has since gained steam, and his fundraising outpaced Harp’s. His platform promotes economic development and government transparency.
Harp’s campaign accused Elicker of using his wife’s position in the U.S. attorney’s office to launch an FBI investigation into corruption at city hall. Elicker dismissed the idea. His wife works in a different division.
