Bad Night For Democratic Establishment In Bridgeport Primaries

It looks like the anger over the latest property tax increase in Bridgeport has cost Tom McCarthy dearly, as he was clobbered by Marilyn Moore in the Democratic primary race for the State Senate. McCarthy was the City Council President who oversaw the tax increase and pretty much rubber-stamped the budget that went along with it. For some reason he decided to run for the State Senate against the incumbent Marilyn Moore in a district that included Black Rock, the area most negatively effected by the property tax increase. Perhaps he reasoned that he wouldn’t survive his next election for the City Council and this was his way out. He had a friend in Democratic Town Chairman Mario Testa, who finagled McCarthy the official Democratic endorsement over the incumbent Moore, as well as the support of the Trumbull Democratic Town Committee . But none of that mattered, as Moore clobbered him in most areas of Bridgeport and over-performed in suburban Trumbull and Monroe which are also included in the district. Bad as the night was for McCarthy, it was even worse for Testa as incumbent State Senator, Ed Gomes, beat back another Testa-backed challenger, Dennis Bradley. And a third endorsed candidate, Charlie Stallworth barely defeated perennial outsider Maria Pereira for State Representative, despite outspending her nearly two to one. With results like these, maybe the Democratic party establishment will start listening to their voters instead of treating the party like their own little fiefdom. And maybe Democratic voters will stay sufficiently engaged to make sure that happens. Let’s hope so.