Bridgeport swears in sheriffs, school-board and 20 council members in annual ceremony

Bridgeport welcomed newly elected city sheriffs, school-board members and 20 City Council members at a swearing-in ceremony that opened the city's first meeting of the year. The evening included a Pledge of Allegiance, a performance of the National Anthem, an invocation and multiple individual oaths of office.

Master of ceremonies (speaker identified in the program) thanked returning and new officials and recognized visiting state legislators, saying, "It's a swearing in ceremony and one that it's my pleasure and honor to act as master of ceremonies." The program included musical and spoken-word elements: Raven Brown led the National Anthem and a short reading titled "The Power of I" emphasized service and participation.

The ceremony featured formal oaths for city sheriffs and members of the Bridgeport Board of Education. City sheriffs were sworn in individually; several Board of Education members — including Jennifer Perez, Robert J. Traber and Joseph Sokolovich — took the oath and were greeted with applause. The mayor and local community leaders, clergy and former officials served as swearers for different offices.

Interim school district leader Dr. Abrams addressed the assembly after the education oaths, asking the community to support the schools. "We're here to fight the fight for our children," Dr. Abrams said, and urged citizens to engage with the district during a challenging period ahead.

A musical selection by Jonathan Dubois Jr. followed remarks and, after a closing benediction, the mayor announced the swearing-in ceremony concluded and the City Council meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. would begin immediately.

The ceremonial portion emphasized unity and community support for newly seated officials; the council meeting that followed moved from organizational items into procedural business.