Outgoing Bridgeport councilwoman challenges election
BRIDGEPORT — Outgoing City Councilwoman Eneida Martinez, who lost September’s Democratic primary for her seat representing the East End, then launched an unsuccessful write-in campaign, is appealing her election loss in Superior Court.
Martinez, who is representing herself, on Friday filed her appeal against the city’s registrars of voters, town clerk, city attorney’s office, and the successful candidates for the 139th council district — Wanda Simmons and Martinez’s current council partner, Ernie Newton.
Superior Court Judge Barry Stevens scheduled a hearing on Martinez’s complaint for Nov. 23 at 2 p.m.
Martinez was first elected in 2013. According to her lawsuit, she is seeking a temporary injunction to decertify the official ballot count from the Nov. 2 general election and to block the Dec. 1 swearing in of council members until a recount of all ballots can be done to determine whether there are discrepancies.
“The plaintiff (Martinez) has been aggrieved by the ruling of the election and integrity of the election processes,” the lawsuit states.
“I just want a fair and complete count,” Martinez told Hearst Connecticut Media on Friday. She said she specifically has concerns about absentee ballots that were returned from her district that were not filled in for the council seat position.
Because write-in candidates’ names do not appear on a ballot, voters must fill in a bubble in that category, then write down near it the name of the individual they are supporting.
“I believe there was an intent to vote on behalf of the voter but for some reason the bubble was not filled in,” Martinez said. “I’m challenging the election because of the principle of it and that’s it.”
Her lawsuit asks the question: “Did the city of Bridgeport Registrar Office of Voter follow written policies and procedures to determine the intent of the voters on the 177 blank ballots to ensure that the right of the voter were not taken away if they voted for the write-in candidate by means of writing the candidates name and not circling the bubble resulting in the tabulator issuing the ballot as a blank.”
There was another write-in candidate in that race as well — Devon Brown.
Deputy City Attorney John Bohannon declined comment on the suit.
Newton, who won reelection with the largest vote tally and has served with Martinez since 2017 — each council district has two representatives — said he believes Martinez’s lawsuit is directed at Simmons, not him.
“She (Martinez) has the right to see if the election was done right,” Newton said.
Simmons and Martinez had a bitter primary fight. The former argued that Martinez had no right to continue serving on Bridgeport’s legislative body after her arrest last year on pending charges related to allegations she ran an illegal club — Keystone — in violation of thenCOVID safety regulations where Nyair Nixon, 21, was fatally shot Sept. 27, 2020.
Meanwhile Martinez when she launched her write-in bid claimed it was in response to constituents upset about Simmons’ opposition to the vaccines for COVID-19. Simmons in September was treated in Bridgeport Hospital for the coronavirus and used the publicity to discourage residents from getting their shots.
“Do not allow my bout with COVID-19 (to) scare you into getting vaccinated!!!,” Simmons had posted online on Facebook. “Stop allowing people (to) push their agenda onto you.” Simmons subsequently argued she does not oppose vaccines but vaccine mandates.
Simmons had no comment on the lawsuit.