State Sen. Marilyn Moore is contesting the results of the Sept. 10 Democratic mayoral primary in Bridgeport, claiming “blatant voter fraud” was used to fuel Mayor Joe Ganim’s victory and demanding a state and federal investigation of the results.

Moore was ahead of Ganim in the vote machine count, leading by 4,140 to 3,796 votes. However, the absentee vote count was in Ganim’s favor, giving him 932 votes to Moore’s 303. Voter turnout was low, with approximately 11,000 registered Democrats from a base of 46,500 participating.

In a message posted to her campaign’s Facebook page, Moore stated that the ballot machine results pointed to her victory.

“A clear majority of voters said no to the old politics, in a clear repudiation of a party machine that has stood in the way of progress for far too long,” she said. “This demand, however, was denied to voters. Questionable absentee ballots poured in, denying their voice. Since the election, hundreds of Bridgeporters have called me and my campaign, demanding answers. They want to know what happened at the polls on Tuesday. They want to know how absentee ballots again contradicted what a clear majority of voters expressed at the polls. They want to know what they can do, what we can do, to right this wrong.”

Moore refused to concede the race, adding that should could not “stand aside and let the voters of Bridgeport be silenced.” While promising to explore options for securing a spot on the November ballot – her endorsement by the Working Families Party was declared null by Secretary of the State Denise Merrill due to an insufficient number of petition signatures – she also demanded a probe into the election night results.

“Today, I stand with Bridgeporters, my community, to demand that the State and National Democratic Party, Governor Ned Lamont, and state and federal authorities conduct a full investigation of absentee ballots cast in the Primary election. The days of staying silent and therefore complicit in blatant voter fraud in Bridgeport must end now.”