Recount to span 2 days

BRIDGEPORT — A recount for the two Republicans who waged a primary battle in the 23rd state Senate district will take place over two days next week.

The 23rd includes parts of both Bridgeport and Stratford. The Bridgeport recount will take place Monday, while the Stratford recount will take place on Tuesday, election officials in both communities said.

Republican John Rodriguez, the party-endorsed candidate, came out ahead on Tuesday by a slim sixvote margin over challenger Caz Mizera. The tally was 147 for Rodriguez and 141 for Mizera.

Monday’s Bridgeport recount will begin at 10:30 a.m. at City Hall Annex, 999 Broad Street, in Conference Rooms A and B. Tuesday’s Stratford recount will be staged at 9 a.m. in Council Chambers at Town Hall, 2525 Main Street.

In Bridgeport, Rodriguez received 131 votes to 87 for Mazura. In Stratford, Mazura came out ahead with 54 votes to 16 for Rodriguez. The six-vote differential represents 2.08 percent of the total number of votes, 288. Rodriguez lives in Bridgeport while Mizera lives in Stratford.

In the recount, representatives from both camps will look over the paper, machine-scored ballots to look for “voter intent.” Ballots that are unintelligible or contradictory will not be counted.

The 23rd district includes much of Stratford’s South End and most of Bridgeport except for a part of the West End and Black Rock. The eventual winner will face Democrat Dennis Bradley in November.