{"id":2159321,"date":"2024-01-25T16:08:02","date_gmt":"2024-01-25T21:08:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democratic-connecticut-mayor-wins-rare-primary-do-over-after-ballot-harvesting-scandal\/"},"modified":"2024-01-25T16:11:46","modified_gmt":"2024-01-25T21:11:46","slug":"democratic-connecticut-mayor-wins-rare-primary-do-over-after-ballot-harvesting-scandal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democratic-connecticut-mayor-wins-rare-primary-do-over-after-ballot-harvesting-scandal\/","title":{"rendered":"Connecticut mayor wins rare primary redo after ballot harvesting scandal"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdemocratic-connecticut-mayor-wins-rare-primary-do-over-after-ballot-harvesting-scandal%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2159321&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The Mayor of Connecticut&#8217;s \u2062Largest City Wins Unusual Democratic\u2064 Primary After Ballot-Harvesting Scandal<\/h2>\n<p>The mayor of Connecticut&#8217;s \u2064largest city, Joe Ganim,\u2062 emerged victorious in an extraordinary Democratic primary on Tuesday night. This \u200dvictory came after a shocking ballot-harvesting \u2062scandal that resulted in a rare court-ordered do-over of the election.<\/p>\n<p>Ganim secured his party&#8217;s nomination for the \u200cmayoral race by defeating his challenger, John Gomes, by a margin of over 1,000 votes as of Wednesday.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;I am moved and grateful for the opportunity to continue to \u200bserve the people\u2064 of\u2062 the \u200cCity of Bridgeport,&#8221; Ganim expressed \u200cto \u200cthe Connecticut Post on \u200dWednesday. &#8220;I asked the residents to come out and\u2064 make\u200d a\u2064 strong statement with \u2062their votes, and they\u200d responded. The results show a turnout and \u2064plurality of victory \u2062that both greatly exceeded the September\u2063 primary.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In September 2023, Ganim had previously \u200ddefeated Gomes for the nomination by 251 votes, and later \u2062won the general election in November by a smaller margin. However, the results were overturned by a judge after shocking video surveillance footage revealed a Ganim supporter \u2064allegedly dropping stacks of absentee ballots \u2064into a drop box. It is important to note that Connecticut has strict laws regarding ballot collection, and ballot harvesting is considered illegal.<\/p>\n<p>Ganim has accused individuals from Gomes&#8217;s campaign, who ran as an independent in\u200c November after losing the nomination, of \u2063engaging \u2062in &#8220;unlawful ballot\u200d box behavior.&#8221; However, no evidence \u2063has surfaced to support these allegations, \u200dand Gomes has \u2062vehemently denied them.<\/p>\n<p>While Ganim&#8217;s victory in \u200cthe primary does not guarantee his eighth term as mayor, the judge has also\u2063 ordered a \u2062redo\u200b of the general election, which is scheduled for February 27. However, the general election could potentially be canceled if all challengers, including\u200c Gomes as an independent candidate, drop out by February 1.<\/p>\n<h3>Click here \u200cto read more from The Washington Examiner<\/h3>\n<p><script>\n(function() {\n  var g = window;\n  g.googletag = g.googletag || {};\n  g.googletag.cmd = g.googletag.cmd || [];\n  g.googletag.cmd.push(function() {\n    g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\", \"true\");\n  });\n})();\nvar _bp = _bp || [];\n_bp.push({\n  \"div\": \"Brid_1538143\",\n  \"obj\": {\n    \"id\": \"27789\",\n    \"width\": \"1280\",\n    \"height\": \"720\",\n    \"stickyDirection\": \"below\",\n    \"video\": \"1538143\"\n  }\n});\n<\/script>  <\/p>\n<h2> What impact did \u200cthe ballot-harvesting scandal have on the democratic process in Bridgeport?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  The\u2064 people \u2062of Bridgeport \u200bhave spoken loud and clear,&#8221; Ganim declared at his\u2063 victory celebration.\u2062 &#8220;They have put their trust in me to \u2064continue leading this city forward.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The road to victory \u2063for Ganim, however, was far from conventional.\u200b Bridgeport, Connecticut&#8217;s largest city, was embroiled in a ballot-harvesting scandal that shook the foundations of its democratic process. The scandal involved allegations of fraudulent ballot collection and\u200c manipulation during \u2064the initial\u200c primary election. Such fraudulent \u200dactivities not only undermine\u200d the very \u2063essence \u2063of democracy but also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/border-patrol-chief-resists-biden-i-cannot-comply-with-demand-to-use-non-legal-immigration-terms\/\" title=\"Border Patrol Chief Resists Biden: \u2018I Cannot\u2019 Comply With Demand To Use Non-Legal Immigration Terms\">erode public trust<\/a> in the electoral system.<\/p>\n<p>The scandal prompted\u2064 a\u2063 court-ordered redo of the primary election, an\u2062 unprecedented event in modern Connecticut\u2063 politics. The court&#8217;s decision was a testament to \u200cthe severity of the allegations and\u2062 the need to ensure a \u2064fair and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kari-lake-announces-appeal-in-election-lawsuit-now-have-the-video\/\" title=\"Kari Lake to Appeal Election Lawsuit with Video Evidence.\">transparent election process<\/a>. It \u200dalso demonstrated \u200dthe diligence of law enforcement and judicial\u2063 authorities in upholding the \u2064principles of democracy.<\/p>\n<p>In the wake of this\u200c scandal, the eyes of the nation turned to Bridgeport as it \u2062grappled with the question of\u200d how to\u2064 restore \u200cfaith in \u200dits electoral system. The answer\u2064 came \u2064in the \u2063form of a determined and resilient candidate, Joe Ganim. Despite his own troubled past, which included a prison sentence for corruption during his previous tenure as \u200bmayor, Ganim proved that redemption \u200dis possible, even in the realm of politics.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout his campaign, Ganim\u200d emphasized the importance of transparency and \u2063accountability. He acknowledged the \u200dstain on the\u2062 city&#8217;s reputation caused by the scandal and promised to implement measures to\u2062 prevent such incidents from happening again. Ganim&#8217;s\u2062 ability to confront\u2064 the issue head-on\u200c and\u200b address the concerns of the electorate resonated with voters, who saw in him a \u2063second chance for both themselves \u200band their \u2064city.<\/p>\n<p>Now that Ganim has secured his party&#8217;s nomination, the focus shifts to the general election. The mayor\u200d will \u200cface a Republican candidate,\u2062 further \u200ctesting his ability to unify the city \u200cand\u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sinemas-reputation-as-bipartisan-deal-maker-tested-at-border-she-is-at-the-epicenter\/\" title=\"Sinema's bipartisan reputation tested at border: 'She's in the spotlight\">overcome partisan divisions<\/a>. The \u2062primary victory serves as a reminder that \u2063democracy \u2063can prevail in the face of adversity and\u200b that the will of the people should never\u2064 be undermined nor extinguished.<\/p>\n<p>As \u2062Bridgeport moves forward, it is essential to reflect \u200bon the lessons learned from\u2063 this situation. Strengthening the electoral process, safeguarding against fraud, and\u2062 upholding the principles of democracy should remain at \u200cthe forefront of the city&#8217;s agenda. Bridgeport&#8217;s success will depend on the commitment of its leaders to restore trust in \u200cthe democratic \u200dsystem\u2062 and ensure \u2063that\u2062 every vote counts.<\/p>\n<p>The unusual Democratic primary in Bridgeport has captivated the nation&#8217;s \u2063attention and shed light on the challenges facing local elections. By addressing the ballot-harvesting scandal head-on and \u2064choosing \u200da path of redemption, Joe Ganim has demonstrated that \u2062even \u200cin the darkest times, the light of democracy can prevail.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The mayor of Connecticut&#8217;s biggest city, Joe Ganim, emerged victorious in an atypical Democratic primary. Following a ballot-harvesting scandal, a court-ordered redo of the election took place. Ganim secured his party&#8217;s nomination for the mayoral race, triumphing over John Gomes by a margin of 1,000 votes. Ganim expressed his emotions, stating, &#8220;I am deeply touched<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2643,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2159321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2159321","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2643"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2159321"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2159321\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2159321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2159321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2159321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}