Former Connecticut mayor tries political comeback after prison term

By Richard Weizel BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (Reuters) - A former mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut, who served seven years in prison after being convicted of racketeering and bribery charges kicked off a campaign on Wednesday to win back the office he last held 12 years ago. Democrat Joseph Ganim had been viewed as a rising political star and possible gubernatorial or congressional contender when he was arrested and charged with running a "pay-to-play" operation in which real estate developers had to pay bribes to win deals in Connecticut's largest city. Ganim, 55, said on Wednesday he had filed papers to challenge Democratic Mayor Bill Finch. He contended that he was the best candidate for the job he held from 1991 through 2003, when he was convicted. "Bridgeport deserves a mayor focused on creating jobs, lowering taxes, improving schools, revitalizing neighborhoods, and creating a Bridgeport that works for everyone," Ganim said in a statement, in which he also admitted to making "serious errors of judgment." Since an early prison release in 2010, Ganim has worked as a legal assistant at his family's law firm, but has been unsuccessful in having his law license restored. Finch and his campaign team blasted Ganim on Wednesday. "Joe Ganim is a corrupt politician who spent seven years in prison. His criminal activity has already cost the people of Bridgeport more than a hundred million dollars," Finch's campaign manager, Maryli Secrest, said. "Ganim's failed investment scheme and sweetheart investment deal on the waterfront set us back years." Ganim's run comes after Vincent "Buddy" Cianci, a two-time convicted felon who was mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, for more than two decades, lost his bid last November to regain the mayoralty. (Editing by Scott Malone and Peter Cooney)