Stratford Firefighters Endorse Gresko In Race For Empty House Seat

STRATFORD, Conn. -- The Stratford firefighters' labor union has endorsed Democratic Town Councilman Joseph P. Gresko in his bid for a seat in the state House of Representatives.

Joseph Gresko has been tapped by Stratford Democrats to run for a seat in the 121st Assembly District left vacant by the death of state Rep. Terry Backer.
Photo Credit: *Stratford Democrats*

Susan Barksdale has been selected as the Republican candidate to replace Rep. Terry Backer, who died on Dec. 14. She will face Democrat Joseph Gresko in the Feb. special election.
Photo Credit: *Linkedin*

James O'Rourke

01/11/2016 4:00 a.m.

The endorsement was released Tuesday, Jan. 5, on the Stratford Professional Firefighters International Association of Firefighters 998 Facebook page.

Gresko, 50, is facing off against Republican Susan Barksdale, a former town school board member, to fill the seat, which was left empty when state Rep. Terry Backer died on Dec. 14 at the age of 61.

Gresko, a Stratford native, was tapped by the Democratic Town Committee in caucus late last month. He was recently elected to represent District 5 on the Town Council, had been one of Backer’s aides in Hartford and was a spokesman for Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim in the 1990s.

The 121st District covers the southern and western ends of Stratford.

The special election to decide the seat is scheduled to take place Feb. 2.

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