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The mayor, who spent seven years in prison on felony charges after his first stint as mayor, is expected to announce his candidacy and officially file with the state Jan. 3, according to city spokesperson Rowena White, who declined to comment further Thursday.
A “Joe Ganim for Governor” account now exists on Twitter and the city-focused blog Only in Bridgeport with Lennie Grimaldi is predicting an announcement from the Democrat next week.
If he does run, expect to see a lot of the mayor in coming months. Since the State Elections Enforcement Commission refused to allow Ganim to receive public campaign funds through the Citizens Election Program because of his felony conviction, he will have to raise his own funds, likely through events with supporters.
Ganim first served five terms as mayor from 1991 to 2003, when he resigned after being convicted of racketeering, extortion, bribery and mail fraud while in office.
He made a stunning comeback in 2015. After apologizing for his mistakes and asking for a “second chance,” Ganim defeated Republican Enrique Torres and unaffiliated candidate Mary Jane Foster in the November election and was sworn in as mayor on Dec. 1.
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