2010 has been one crazy election year, and 2011 could be one, too.   Former Bridgeport Mayor and convicted felon Joe Ganim might possibly want to try to get his old job back.  

During a taping of “Face the State” Ganim repeatedly sidestepped the question about whether he would run, but essentially refused to rule it out.   At one point he said he “hadn’t thought about it.”   Still, in my view,  Ganim sounded like a potential candidate: pointing out the problems with Bridgeport while touting his accomplishments.    Since leaving prison and later a halfway house,  the 50 year old Ganim has been living outside the city, and obviously would have to move back to be eligible to run.

During the visit to our studios, Ganim displayed some of his same charm that endeared him to voters and the Democratic party years ago.    One of our staffers told me after she met him, that it “was hard not to like him.”     Another said “I can see why he was a successful politician.”   

And he was.   Ganim was a rising star in the Connecticut Democratic party,  ran for governor in 1994, ultimately taking the number 2 spot on the ticket.   John Rowland’s enormous popularity scared off Ganim for a another run for governor in 1998, and by the election of 2002,  it had all changed.

Ganim was brought up  on corruption charges and convicted in 2003.  He was sent to prison, and was released this past summer.    He is now fighting to clear his name.  

During the taping we talked about his conviction, the corruption, and what he told his fellow prisoners about why he was there.     I wanted to know whether he really believes he did nothing wrong.   I also asked Ganim if he kept in touch with any of his fellow Democrats while he was incarcerated.   He would only reveal one name:  Congressman John Larson.  Larson chose Ganim to be his running mate when he ran for Governor in 1994. 

You can watch the entire interview with Joe Ganim, this Sunday morning at 11 on Face the State.