Opponents say Foster won't guarantee Finch will not have role; candidate responds mayor will not

The question her opponents want to ask her is why not put your cards on the table.

The news of Bill Finch not running for a third term as mayor of the Park City was perhaps the most significant development in Bridgeport’s recent political history. Certainly since the time when former mayor Joe Ganim was escorted off to federal prison.

The biggest news prior was also somewhat astounding, Ganim’s re-emergence in the local political scene and his status as a significant challenge to Finch along with University of Bridgeport Vice President Mary-Jane Foster.

So the stage was set for the battle between Finch and Ganim, with Foster ready to play the role of alternative choice. Her strategy was simple: Ganim is a convicted felon who wreaked havoc with the faith of Bridgeport residents and Finch was an incumbent mayor whose popularity with the electorate was rapidly dwindling. Foster, one of the founders of the Bridgeport Bluefish baseball team, was positioned as the choice of the voters who were not fans of either of her opponents.

However, things went a little haywire even given the theater of Bridgeport politics. Finch lost to Ganim in the Democratic primary with Foster finishing a distant third. Shortly afterward Foster withdrew from the race and Finch forged ahead with the Jobs Creation party, a party created solely to keep him in the election if he floundered in the primary.

Secretary of State Denise Merrill had something to about the new party, punting it from the ballot for submitting incomplete paperwork to her office. Finch essentially had nowhere to turn and wound up joining forces with Foster.

To the eyes of many Bridgeport political observers this was the theater of the absurd as Foster and Finch had been antagonists for years. After having once been allies, Foster challenged Finch in 2011 but came up short. Her campaign this year pulled no punches against the mayor, belittling him with the decisive spirit of good old fashioned campaign rhetoric.

Yet, here they were, thick as thieve at the announcement on 10 Middle Street that they were now allies. Some antennae quickly went up.

Foster told the 100+ crowd assembled on the 16th floor, “There has been no deal,” she also added “Bill has been nothing but a perfect gentleman since he came to our side.”

There is a genuine fear of Ganim returning to power in Bridgeport and Foster and Finch are two political warriors determined to keep him at bay. The question is whether or not there is an agreement that Finch will have a key position in a Foster administration should she be elected. Otherwise, why would he suddenly embrace his longtime foe.

Republican nominee Enrique Torres was irate saying, “This is disgusting. It’s immoral.” Third party candidate Charlie Coviello of the New Movement party laughed and said, “You’ve gotta be kidding me. It’s obvious that someone who wants to keep gamin out of office brokered this deal. There is no way it would happen otherwise.”

Finch has two years to go to collect a city pension. He could probably stomach Foster for two more years and then cash in. But nobody is saying if he has a role to play or not. The fact that the camps are saying there is no deal does not mean there is not an agreement in place for a job for Finch. A good job.

Mary-Jane Foster isn’t saying on the record that she will not hire Bill Finch. This keeps her options open for when she hands out the rewards to her supporters if she is elected.

And Mayor Finch might come away with a very nice reward.