A state judge has made a significant ruling in Connecticut’s largest city, ordering a new Democratic mayoral primary to be held after the general election. The decision comes after surveillance videos surfaced, showing a woman stuffing what appeared to be absentee ballots into an outdoor ballot box just days before the original primary. Judge William Clark, in his ruling, determined that the allegations of possible malfeasance were serious enough to warrant throwing out the results of the primary, which incumbent Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim had won by a narrow margin of 251 votes out of 8,173 cast. The use of absentee ballots played a crucial role in securing his victory.
“The volume of mishandled ballots is significant enough to cast serious doubt on the result of the primary election, making it impossible for the court to determine the legitimate winner,” stated Judge Clark, emphasizing the shocking nature of the surveillance videos. He called for a new primary, although the date has not yet been set. Despite this ruling, the general election is expected to proceed as planned, with Ganim appearing as the Democratic nominee and John Gomes, his opponent, running as an independent candidate. Republican David Herz and petitioning candidate Lamond Daniels are also in the mayoral race.
Gomes, whose campaign obtained and released the surveillance video, filed a lawsuit against city officials, demanding either a new primary or to be declared the winner. Connecticut law stipulates that voters using a collection box must personally drop off their completed ballots or designate certain family members, police, local election officials, or a caregiver to do it on their behalf.
Lawyers for Gomes argued that the video evidence, exhibits, and testimony prove election fraud on an unprecedented scale, not only in Connecticut but in the entire country. They pointed out “multiple violations” of absentee ballot regulations and questioned the reliability of the primary results. After reviewing over 2,000 hours of surveillance footage, Gomes’ legal team estimated that approximately 420 people used the drop boxes, but at least 1,255 ballots were submitted.
Lawyers representing city officials, however, questioned the accuracy and relevance of Gomes’ video review, arguing that it does not prove any illegality. They highlighted the absence of testimony from voters who claimed their ballots were mishandled.
The State Elections Enforcement Commission is currently investigating the allegations of ballot-stuffing and other complaints related to the primary. Gomes has identified the woman in the video as Wanda Geter-Pataky, the vice chair of the Bridgeport Democratic Town Committee and a Ganim supporter. Geter-Pataky has chosen to exercise her right to remain silent regarding the case. Ganim, who was previously convicted of corruption but regained his mayoral position after serving his sentence, has denied any knowledge of ballot-related wrongdoing and has raised concerns about videos allegedly showing Gomes’ campaign workers dropping multiple pieces of paper resembling ballots.
It is worth noting that news of the Bridgeport videos has gained attention on right-wing social media platforms and far-right media, with some connecting the controversy to the claims of a stolen election in 2020.
As the investigation continues and a new primary is yet to be scheduled, this case highlights the importance of maintaining the integrity of elections and ensuring a fair and transparent democratic process.
