Former State Sen. Dennis Bradley Charged in Bridgeport Absentee Ballot Case

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Former Connecticut state senator Dennis A. Bradley Jr. was arrested October 6 on state charges stemming from an investigation into the handling of absentee ballots during Bridgeport's 2026 Democratic primary, according to the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice.

Chief State's Attorney Patrick J. Griffin said inspectors from the Statewide Prosecution Bureau arrested Bradley, 42, of Bridgeport, on a warrant. Bradley faces two counts of illegal possession of absentee ballots and envelopes under Connecticut General Statutes Section 9-140b(d), one count of being present when an absentee-ballot applicant executed a ballot under Section 9-140b(e), and one absentee-ballot charge under Section 9-359.

The August 11 Democratic primary included a contest for Bridgeport probate judge between incumbent Paul Ganim and challenger Mark Bradley, Dennis Bradley's brother.

According to the state prosecutors' official release, a complainant contacted Bridgeport police on August 5 and filed a follow-up complaint with the State Elections Enforcement Commission on August 6. The complainant alleged that a man she knew as Dennis Bradley came to her apartment, opened an absentee ballot she had already completed, and instructed her how to change her vote for probate judge from Ganim to Mark Bradley.

Those statements are allegations contained in the state's account of the case. They have not been proven in court. The official release does not identify the complainant and does not state the date of the alleged apartment visit.

The State Elections Enforcement Commission later referred the matter to the Office of the Chief State's Attorney for further investigation, prosecutors said.

Bradley was released on a promise to appear and is scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court, Geographical Area No. 2, on October 21, according to the Division of Criminal Justice.

The official release did not include a response from Bradley or his attorney. The New England Voice is not presenting the allegations as established facts. Under the law, Bradley is presumed innocent unless and until the state proves the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.