America's Persons Of The Year

Our Troops

The year 2007 may end up being looked at as one of the better times in Iraq. The Iraqis have been trained to secure their country, and the threat of terrorism has reduced. Some say that General David Petraeus should have been named TIME Magazine's Person of the Year because of his leadership this past year.

I have decided not to go with him however because it is the American troops that have made the difference. Ever since this war started the mission has remained the same to them, and everyday they have gone out and proudly fought for the United States of America.

Things have been looking up in Iraq, mainly because of the surge, and those brave men and women who have risked their lives for us, deserve so much respect. They are the ones that go out and defend our nation no matter what the circumstance may be.

Success could not be seen in Iraq without the courage and commitment of our military forces. Based on that, our troops are America's 2007 Persons of the Year.

Connecticut's Persons Of The Year

Fighting Forty-Four

The 2006 election resulted in the Connecticut Democrats getting veto-proof majorities in both the house and senate. So, going onto the 2007 session looked like Democrats would get mostly what they wanted with little competition. This ended up not being true.

There were only forty four Republicans in the House of Representatives, but they made their voice heard, and it was loud. They did not agree with the tax increases that were being proposed, and they didn't even like everything about their own Governor's budget proposal. They decided to make their view heard, and ended up being successful.

The Republicans in the house call themselves, the fighting forty-four because though they may be a small group they will never give up without a fight. They were determined to make sure that this year's budget would not include any tax increases, and because of their leadership taxes were not raised. The public also seemed to accept the Republicans proposals as a Quinnipiac poll showed back in the spring.

Based on the fact that they were highly outnumbered, but still fought for the Connecticut people in an overall successful manner, makes the Fighting Forty-Four Connecticut's 2007 Persons of the Year.

Danbury's Person Of The Year

Mark Boughton

On Election Day this year, Republicans did very well. They kept their 14-7 majority on the Council, and kept the top three seats. One person excelled above the rest, and that is Mayor Mark Boughton.

Mayor Boughton was elected with an overwhelming sixty-six percent of the vote, the biggest win of his political career. It was a very impressive victory, and he helped not only get himself re-elected to a fourth term, but helped lead his party to a very good showing and many victories.

Boughton was criticized for a variety of issues, however he showed the critics that his policies are accepted by the majority of citizens in Danbury. His vision was wanted back in office, as the people felt comfortable with him, and overall approved of his record.

He was re-elected by a huge margin, in a city that has more registered Democrats than Republicans. He has become the first Republican Mayor in Danbury to have been elected to four terms.

Based on his impressive victory and approval by the voters, Mark Boughton is Danbury's 2007 Person of the Year.

McLachlan Considers Run For Senate

Michael McLachlan , Mayor Mark Boughton's chief of staff, is highly considering a run for the 24th State Senate seat next year. You can read the article here.

The seat is currently held by David Cappiello, who is running for Congress next year. He has held the seat for the past ten years, and Republicans have held it for a dozen years.

This should end up being a very interesting race to watch. There are a lot of people speculating on which Democrtas may take a shot at the seat, which is in play for them to pick up. Also, we''ll have to see if McLachlan is the only Republican who decides to run.

Our One Year Anniversary

It is hard to believe that today marks the one year anniversary of this blog. I never imagined that it would get the type of support it has, and raise some very valuable opinions. I want to thank you all for the support and expressing your views in a mostly respectful way.

Here's to another wonderful year filled with surprises!

What A Year!

The following are a list of events that happened throughout the year and I posted about. Enjoy the recap.

January

3: Governor Rell is sworn in for her first full term in office. State legislators were also sworn in, which started their session.

4: History is made in Washington as Nancy Pelosi becomes the first female speaker of the House.

23: President George W. Bush delivers his State of the Union Address in front of a Democratic Congress for the first time.

February

7: Governor Jodi Rell gives her budget address to members of the General Assembly. It was looked at with mixed views.

20: Former City Clerk Helena Abrantes announces that she plans on challenging Republican Mayor Mark Boughton. Some felt others may also try to be the one to challenge Boughton, however she ended up being the only one.

March

6: Mayor Boughton presented his budget proposal to the Common Council.

13: Danbury Democrats officially endorse Senator Chris Dodd for President. Dodd is still in the running, but polling around only one percent.

23: Congressman Chris Murphy votes for a withdrawal date for troops in Iraq.

April

3: The Common Council passes Mayor Boughton's budget.

12: The Judiciary Committee passed a bill that would allow gay marriage in Connecticut, however it is never taken further.

21: It's reported that our State Senator David Cappiello will run for Congress against Chris Murphy.

May

6: Congressional candidate David Cappiello appears on Fox 61 and expresses his views on the Iraq War publicly for the first time.

18: The General Assembly passes a bill that would allow illegal immigrants to pay in state tuition.

June

1: State Senator Lou DeLuca is arrested on accounts of conspiracy.

14: DeLuca resigns as minority leader, as State Senator John McKinney is chosen to replace him.

23: The General Assembly passes the state budget, weeks late however.

26: Governor Jodi Rell vetoes a bill that would have given illegal immigrants in state tuition.

July

6: I write the first post analyzing the fifth congressional district race.

11: former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson passes away at 94.

19: Danbury Democrats and Republicans nominate candidates for the local election.

August

2: Senator David Cappiello calls on fellow Republican Lou DeLuca to resign.

5: The weekend of the Italian Festival which many local candidates attended.

September

9: The Taste of Danbury and Irish Festival is held, while the local campaign starts getting in full swing.

12: Mayoral candidate Helena Abrantes releases a radio ad.

18: Council candidates Lynn Taborsak and Chris Halfar show support towards the "Danbury 11".

October

3: Mayor Boughton expresses his support for Mitt Romney's Presidential campaign, becoming his campaign's Connecticut co-chairman.

28: The race for Mayor starts to heat up with major newspaper articles written.

30: Former Congresswoman Nancy Johnson endorses Rudy Giuliani for President.

November

1: The News-Times endorses Mark Boughton for a fourth term as Mayor.

6: Election Day 2007! Mayor Boughton has a huge win, along with impressive wins by incumbent Treasurer Dan Jowdy, City Clerk Jean Natale, and Town Clerk Lori Kaback. Republicans also keep the majority on the Council.

13: Senator Lou DeLuca announces his resignation effective November 30th after months of speculation.

December

8: Former Republican State Representative Tony Nania announces he plans on opening an exploratory committee to run for the fifth congressional district. Nania would face David Cappiello in a primary if he goes through with this.

14: Mayor Boughton gives his State of the City Address.

17: Senator Joe Lieberman endorses Republican John McCain for President.

TIME Magazine names a person of the year, so I thought that this blog would do the same. However, we are going to go a little further and name a person of the year in Danbury, Connecticut, and America. On Saturday we will reveal Danbury's Person of the Year. Stay tuned!

Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. Have a good holiday with your friends and family. Enjoy!

The Unpredictable Race

The race for President is becoming harder and harder to predict. A few weeks ago I said that it appears as if the Republican race is between just Romney and Giuliani. However, that has completely changed. Mike Huckabee has become a serious contender, John McCain is making a comeback, and rumor has it that Fred Thompson is creeping up in Iowa.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton has now lost her lead in Iowa and slipping in New Hampshire. Barack Obama has been doing very well, and even John Edwards is polling well in Iowa.

I don't think anyone has ever seen a Presidential election like this one. Both sides are unpredictable. I once believed we would see Hillary vs. Rudy, but I don't know if that's the case anymore. Giuliani has barely been able to hold on to his national lead, and while Clinton has a big lead nationally she has lost big leads in early voting states.

If I was running, I would either want to be Barack Obama or John McCain. Obama has a lot of momentum and has taken advantage of Hillary's campaign mistakes. McCain has come back and doing very well in New Hampshire, picking up many newspaper endorsements. With less than two weeks until the Iowa Caucus, who knows what's going to happen.

Rell May Run Again

Governor Jodi Rell says she likes what she has accomplished as Governor, and may consider running again in 2010. You can read the article here.

Rell was elected to her first full term last year crushing New Haven Mayor John DeStefano. Many believed that she would not run for re-election in 2010, however she has now said she may open an exploratory committee next month to consider the option.

House Speaker Jim Amann announced that he has interest in running for the Democratic nomination for Govrnor. Other names that have been rumored are DeStefano, Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy, Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz, and Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who is considered the front runner.

If Rell decides not to run, some Republicans that have been rumored as candidates are Lt. Governor Mike Fedele and former Congressman Rob Simmons.

Lieberman Endorses McCain For President

Presidential candidate John McCain got a big boost in his campaign today. After getting the endorsements of many early voting state newspapers this weekend, he received the endorsement of Senator Joe Lieberman, the Democratic candidate for Vice President in 2000.

After a terrible start to his campaign, McCain has gotten a lot of momentum in the last month or so. Lieberman's endorsement is also very big in New Hampshire because McCain is trying to attract unaffiliated voters there to vote for him in their primary on January 8th. This is how he won the state's primary in 2000.

What should be interesting is how active Lieberman will be in supporting McCain. Also, remember our other Senator, Chris Dodd, is running for President, but Lieberman is not supporting him. This, and the fact that he is supporting a Republican, could be the thing that goes to far for Democrats, as they may abandon him even more.

Another interesting circumstance is what if McCain is not the nominee. Lieberman said he plans on attending the Republican Convention if McCain is the candidate nominated. However, how could he support one of the Democratic candidates when they are so far off on his foreign policy views. I could see him supporting Rudy Giuliani, but Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, or Fred Thompson could be more of a stretch. Though, Lieberman could end up being a good keynote speaker at the Republican Convention.

Also, some believe that McCain and Lieberman could possibly run together for the White House, either as Republicans or possibly on an Independent ticket if McCain isn't nominated. Lieberman says he has no intention of doing that.

To conclude, it has been a very big couple of days for John McCain. He is building momentum, and a win in New Hampshire could make the Republican race even more interesting.

State Of The City Address

Yesterday, Mayor Mark Boughton gave his State of the City Address. You can read the article here from the News-Times.

Boughton talked a lot about downtown and the homeless, along with many other issues. The following are a few points raised directly from his speech. You can read that here.

On the economy:

"As I speak to you here today, Danbury is experiencing strong economic growth and has the lowest unemployment rate in the State of Connecticut."

On the re-evaluation:

"One challenge that we will address is the recent reevaluation which has shown dramatic increases in the value of our residents homes and your businesses. We will address this challenge by using every tool in our toolbox to minimize the impact of the new assessments."

On immigration:

"Currently there is a proposal to enroll our Police Department in a program that will provide additional training to some of our officers in immigration law. After careful analysis and review, and based on the recommendations from our Chief of Police, our Corporation Counsel, and with approval from the Common Council, the City will participate in this worthwhile program."

On downtown:

"Within the next thirty days I will be appointing a task force of individuals to develop a plan for our downtown that is visionary and far reaching."

On the homeless:

"We are going to ask that people who use the shelter contribute to the city by requiring they complete some community service in exchange for staying in our shelter or contribute to themselves by enrolling in a program to get back on their feet."

Just to note, Governor Rell and President Bush will give their addresses in either January or February of 2008.

Poll Results

Our latest poll question was whether or not you agreed of the past election results. Here's what you said:

Yes: 24 (83%)
No: 5 (17%)

Thanks for all those who voted. I put two new polls up. Make sure you take them.

Another Republican Candidate

Former State Representative Tony Nania, a Republican, announced that he is exploring the option to run for Congress. You can read the article here.

If he does go through with it, Nania will face State Senator David Cappiello in a primary. Cappiello has started raising money ever since his announcement in April, and has received much recognition from National Republicans.

They both want to face Congressman Chris Murphy, who was elected to his first term last year. It should be interesting what happens with this, as Murphy has already raised close to one million dollars. Cappiello has raised around 270 thousand. Nania will now start raising money, with hopes of getting 1.5 million within the next ten months.

If there is a primary, it will occur in August.

Pearl Harbor

"A date which will live in infamy"

Today marks the 66th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. It was an event that brought the United States into World War II, and a day that will never be forgotten.

Youth Likes Rudy, Obama

A new poll has come out that shows young voters are favoring Rudy Giuliani and Barack Obama for President. You can read it here.

The poll asked voters between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four, if they planned on voting in the primaries and general elections.

Thirty-one percent of Republicans said that they support Giuliani, while John McCain was second with fifteen percent. Fred Thompson came in third with nine percent. Mitt Romney and Ron Paul were tied with six percent, while Mike Huckabee registered four percent. Thirty percent said they were undecided.

On the Democratic side, thirty-eight percent support Obama, with Hillary Clinton gaining thirty-three percent. Coming in third was John Edwards with seven percent, and Dennis Kucinich got three percent. Thirteen percent said they were unsure.

Now, Obama leading is not surprising because he attracts very well to the youth. Giuliani's lead is a little more impressive, possibly showing Republicans that he may be the most electable. The youth vote may become very influential in the general election. Democrats usually always get this vote, however if the Republicans put up a candidate that can do well, then they could make this more interesting.

The Fifth District Race

The News-Times had an article yesterday about State Senator David Cappiello's campaign for Congress. You can read it here.

The article points out that our fifth district race could gain national attention, and be very competitive. Cappiello will be facing incumbent Democratic Congressman Chris Murphy.

Murphy has raised a lot of money in his quest for a second term. He has raised about one million dollars for the race. Cappiello is down in the fundraising, as he has raised about 270 thousand. However, Cappiello did not raise money during the first quarter since he wasn't an announced candidate, and his third quarter numbers were low because he didn't focus on fundraising with the birth of his second child.

The article was mainly centered around Cappiello's campaign, saying he is upset with the Washington relationship to the American people. Also, he touts his record in Hartford as being an independent voice, and going against his Republican Party when he believes it is necessary to do so. He was the first Republican to ask former Governor John Rowland and Senator Lou DeLuca to resign, who were both Republicans.

The article did mention that Murphy is well known and liked. He has been very active in the district, as he has held many town hall meetings, and started a "Congress on Your Corner" tour. People like to see their elected officials out in the public so that they can have the chance to talk directly to them.

This should be a very interesting race to watch, as both Murphy and Cappiello are very good campaigners.

Rudy vs. Mitt

We are officially in campaign mode for the Presidential primaries, and this is the first post of many to speculate the races.

On the Republican side, there are eight candidates, five very strong and well liked candidates, and three who really have no shot at getting the nomination. They are Duncan Hunter, Tom Tancredo, and Ron Paul. Of the three Paul will get the anti-war Republican vote, but besides that he will probably not do well.

The top five candidates are Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, John McCain, and Mike Huckabee. Giuliani leads all national polls, however is down in many early primary voting states. Thompson usually places second in national polls, and Romney and McCain usually flip-flop the third place spot.

However, at this time I believe that the Republican nomination will either go to Rudy Giuliani or Mitt Romney, and here's why.

First, Romney is up in Iowa and New Hampshire. Though Mike Huckabee is giving him a very tough fight in Iowa, Romney still looks to be in good shape. Giuliani comes in third in most polls in Iowa, and second in New Hampshire, but not a very close second. It's very unlikely McCain can pull off an upset in his magical state of New Hampshire, and Thompson's campaign just seems to be very confusing.

After New Hampshire, comes Michigan which is where Romney's family is from. Despite this, he is locked in a battle with Giuliani there. After that comes South Carolina, which has Romney, Thompson, and Giuliani as the top three. Nevada's primary is held the same day as South Carolina, where Giuliani is managing to keep the lead. After this comes Florida, where Giuliani is doing very well.

Super Tuesday is February 5th, and will feature over twenty states. Giuliani does well in many of them, and is hoping on a strong showing. However, early momentum by Romney could make it more interesting.

So, with all that said, it is very likely that the Republican accepting the nomination will be Romney or Giuliani. There are many what ifs, and many situations to look at. The month of December should be very interesting to see if Giuliani makes up ground in Iowa and New Hampshire.

At this time though, I'm going to say Romney and Giuliani will fight it out in a tough battle. But hey - anything, and I mean anything can happen.

A Little Strange

The latest Zogby Poll shows a little shocking news. They have Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton losing to every Republican candidate running for President, that were polled. It seems a little odd that Hillary has dropped, and that Republicans are starting to gain some traction. She has been considered as the one to beat, however many say she is easier to defeat because her negatives are so high.

That could be true as the poll also showed that Barack Obama and John Edwards do well against the Republican candidates. They either lead or are tied with the GOP candidates.

Many say that Rudy Giuliani is the only one who could beat Hillary Clinton, and the Zogby poll had him up 43%-40%. He is also up in the latest Rasmussen Reports poll 46%-42%. John McCain also runs strong against Hillary. Mitt Romney seems to be a little stronger than he was, and Fred Thompson has his southern routs to count on.

It should be very interesting who gets the GOP nomination as Giuliani leads in national polls, but trails in early primary states. Also, if Iowa does not go in Hillary's favor, then the Democratic nomination could get just as interesting.

Tomorrow night at 8:00 on CNN the Republican candidates face off in the You Tube debate. Could be interesting. I'd watch for attacks from Romney and Giuliani to each other. Also, Mike Huckabee seems to be on the rise.

Boughton Explains Why Romney

If you recall, about two months ago I reported that Mayor Boughton would serve as co-chair for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign in Connecticut. Boughton has now publicly talked about this on his blog, which you can read here.

First, the Mayor basically made clear why he supports the former Massachusetts Governor. He listed four reasons. The first was that Iraq was in a mess, and needed someone who was capable of coming up with a good plan to deal with the issue. The second was illegal immigration, where he feels that Romney is the only one who could truly address it. The third was that Boughton said he was sick of the usual politicians, and feels that Romney is not one of them. The fourth was that he liked the fact that Romney is a strong family man.

Now, it does seem a little interesting that Boughton has endorsed Romney, and is an official member of the campaign. Most Republicans in Connecticut have decided to support Rudy Giuliani, which Boughton himself even said in his post. The latest poll shows Giuliani with 41% in Connecticut followed by Romney with 13%, John McCain with 12%, and Fred Thompson with 7%. Many Republican state legislators are backing Giuliani, as well as former Congresswoman Nancy Johnson. Congressman Chris Shays has endorsed John McCain.

Boughton definitely explained his reasoning, and he said he will continue to post on his experiences within the Romney campaign. It should be interesting to see. I'll be starting to write on the race for President, speculating on different primary states, making predictions, and analyzing. This may very well be the best election we will ever see.

Now To '08

Now that the local election is over, all eyes have turned to the 2008 election, which features some very interesting races. Here's what to expect to see talked on this blog in the months to come.

• The race for President. The Iowa Caucus is set for January 3rd and the New Hampshire Primary is set for the 8th. From there on, we will regularly be watching different states who hold primaries, until February 5th when Connecticut along with many other states hold their primary. We will probably know by mid-February who the two candidates will be.


• The race for Congress. We should have a fairly competitive race here in the fifth district, as our State Senator is challenging our incumbent Congressman. Chris Murphy and David Cappiello are very strong candidates who will hopefully bring a lot to the public. The two do feel about the same way on Iraq, so it should be interesting how it all carries out.


• The race for State Senate. Since David Cappiello is running for Congress, he is not running for his State Senate seat. It should be very interesting who runs for this, for both the Republicans and Democrats. Republicans have held the seat for over a decade, and it has always been a strong hold for them. However, Democrats can see this as an opportunity to pick up a seat they haven't had a real shot at for many years. This race could get very interesting.


• The races for State Representatives. There are four state house seats in Danbury, and some could get fun to watch, while others could get dull. Democrats hold three district seats (2nd, 109th, and 110th). Republicans hold the other district seat (138th). The 109th was expected to be close last time, but Joe Taborsak easily won. Bob Godfrey also cruised to re-election in the 110th district. The 138th has been considered the most Republican district of the four, as Jan Giegler has managed to win impressive victories since barely winning her first term in 2002. The most interesting race could be for the 2nd district seat, which Republicans did hold until 2006.
  
  

Those are the races that we will talk about a lot within the coming months. It should be a very interesting, but fun ride until November 2008.

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving and enjoys their time with family and friends. Enjoy the day!

A Teenage Politician

In The News-Times the other day there was a nice write up on Andrew Wetmore, a newly elected Republican Zoning Commission member. You can read it here.

Wetmore is only nineteen years old, and a WestConn student. Despite being so young, he managed to get the third highest amount of votes out of all the zoning candidates. He said he did not expect to win, however did work hard to get elected.

Wetmore is not new to politics, as he said he worked in the unsuccessful State Representative campaigns of Gregg Seabury, along with Congresswoman Nancy Johnson's failed re-election campaign last year. He also tried to fill a vacant seat on the Board of Education in the summer of 2006, but did not get chosen.

From the article it sounds like Wetmore intends to be very involved in politics for a while.

When asked if he would run for mayor in two years, Wetmore said,"Not in two years . . . One day, I would like that. It's very much in the distance. There are other things that are more important, like a college degree and having a family."

He could very well be a rising star in local politics. Only time will tell.

Staying Put

Susan Podhajski has withdrawn her resignation from the Board of Education. You can read the news here.

Podhajski said that she has now accepted a job within Connecticut, which will allow her to still be on the school board. Last week, she announced her resignation because she accepted a job in New Hampshire.

She is currently Chair of the board, which will have its annual meeting to elect officers on December fifth.

DeLuca Resigns

State Senator Louis DeLuca announced today that he will resign his seat, effective November 30th. You can read the article here.

DeLuca served for nearly seventeen years, but decided to resign after months of speculation of his relationship with trash hauler James Galante. A special election will be held to choose his successor.

The following was taken directly from his announcement:

"For now, I must do what is right for my family, my district and my state. I will retire from the state Senate and resign my office, effective Nov. 30, 2007. I love you, and farewell."

Hopefully our state can now move forward, and put this behind us. We'll have to wait and see.

Veteran's Day

Today we honor those who have put their lives in danger for us. People of courage and pride. God bless them and their families.

School Board Chair Resigning

Board of Education Chairperson Susan Podhajski is resigning her seat. She announced this one day after being elected to a second term on Tuesday.

Podhajski is accepting a job in New Hampshire, which is the reason for why she is leaving the board. The Democrats now need to find someone to fill her seat. I believe that person will then have to run in two years since she is filling a seat that has an election up before that seat's term would be up. It can get very confusing, but at least we have until 2009 to worry about it!

Republicans Come Out On Top

Top Four Incumbents Win

GOP Keeps Council

Yesterday, Republican Mayor Mark Boughton coasted to a fourth term, earning 66% of the vote. Democratic challenger Helena Abrantes lost by over 4,200 votes. This was Boughton's strongest victory as Mayor.

City Treasurer Dan Jowdy also easily won re-election beating Democrat Brian Cotter by over 3,600 votes. Jowdy earned a third term getting 64% of the vote.

City Clerk Jean Natale received 57% of the vote, and bested her Democratic opponent Eileen Coladarci by over 1,800 votes. Many expected this race to be very close as Natale only beat Coladarci by about 400 votes in 2005. However, a strong Republican turnout helped Natale win by a much larger margin than anticipated.

Town Clerk Lori Kaback was one of the few bright spots for the Democrats. Kaback beat Republican Pudgie Delohery by 1,383 votes, earning 55% of the vote. Boughton's strong showing didn't help Delohery, or at least gain her some more momentum.

The Common Council has remained in Republican control by the current 14-7 majority. All incumbents running for Council ward seats won. Six out of seven Republicans won Council at Large seats. Republican Pauline Basso lost her seat, as Warren Levy was the Democrat that beat her. Republican Bob Arconti was the top vote getter followed by Republicans Collen Stanley, Gregg Seabury, Phil Curran, Democrat Warren Levy, and Republicans Jack Knapp, and Robert Riley.

The first ward went to incumbent Republicans Louise McMahon and Shay Nagarsheth. The second ward re-elected Republicans Charles Trombetta and James Johnson. The third ward was anticipated to be the most interesting as Lynn Taborsak was trying to pick up a seat for the Democrats and take out President Joe Cavo. However, that didn't happen, as Republicans Joe Cavo and Mike Colandrino won impressive victories here. The fourth ward kept Democrats Tom Saadi and John Esposito. Democrats also kept ward five Councilmen Duane Perkins and Fred Visconti. Democrats Ben Chianese and Paul Rotello also won re-election in the sixth ward. Seventh ward voters decided to keep Republican Councilwomen Mary Teicholz and Jane Diggs. All of that results to a 14-7 Republican majority, which is no change from what it was before the election.

Republican Board of Education candidates that won were Joe Scozzafava, Louis Alosco, Irving Fox, and Richard Janelli. Democrats Gladys Cooper, Rachael Austin, and Susan Podhajski also won.

On the Zoning Commission the winners were Republicans Rob Mellilo, Andrew Wetmore, Larry Stramiello, David Manacek, Ted Farah, and Patrick Johnson. The Democrats were Anthony DiCaprio, Theodore Haddad, and Richard Jowdy. The Alternates elected were Republicans Victoria Hickey and Thomas Spegnolo. One Democrat was elected based on minority representation and that was Jaquelin Perez-Ares.

Democrats maintained their hold on the Constables keeping incumbents Michael Esposito, Paul Estefan, and Francis Kieras. The two Republicans that won were Dianne Zielinski and Barbara Kurpiewski.

That about wraps it up for the results. You can read all the exact numbers here. I think many did not expect the Republicans to have such a strong showing, reminding us a little of what they did in 2003. A very positive night for them, as the city showed that they really did not think change was needed. More to come on speculation and analyzing within the coming days. The election may be over, but that doesn't mean we have to stop talking about it.

Election Results

All four top office incumbents won today -- Mayor Boughton, Treasurer Dan Jowdy, City Clerk Jean Natale, and Town Clerk Lori Kaback. Boughton won by over 3,500 votes. No real unofficial numbers have been released on the other top races.

The Common Council will stay in Republican control. The biggest news here is that Lynn Taborsak did not win in the third ward. Republican incumbents won wards one, two, three, and seven. Wards four, five, and six went to the incumbent Democrats. It appears as though Republicans won at least six out of the seven Council at Large seats. The last seat is to close to call.

The bottom line here is that the Republicans had a very strong showing, and did very well considering the attacks by the Democrats in the final weeks. Much more to come. Even though the election is over, it doesn't mean our coverage is. Check back later to see more.

Election Day!

Today is the most important day of the year. All citizens registered to vote should take advantage of the democratic process, and fulfill their civic duty to vote. If you don't know where to vote here is a list of the voting locations:

Ward 1-Danbury High School
Ward 2-Pembroke School
Ward 3-Broadview Middle School
Ward 4-Shelter Rock School
Ward 5-War Memorial
Ward 6-Park Avenue School
Ward 7-Mill Ridge Intermediate

It is sure going to be an exciting day. Who knows whats going to happen. Just make sure you make your voice heard -- go vote!

Our Endorsement For Mayor

Before reading this I hope everyone understands that this is just our endorsement for Mayor, and however you take it is up to you. Many of you may not agree with the choice, and that's okay. Whatever the case, make sure you vote on Tuesday, and take advantage of the democracy government that we have in place. Make your voice heard!

This year incumbent Republican Mark Boughton is facing Democrat Helena Abrantes for Mayor. Boughton was a former history teacher at Danbury High School, and former State Representative. He was elected Mayor in 2001 by only 139 votes, but easily won re-election in 2003 and 2005. Abrantes served on the Common Council during the 1990's, and is also a former City Clerk. She lost her bid for a second term in 2003, and since has opened a family restaurant named Atlantic Restaurant.

This year, accomplishments as well as a vision for the future needs to be what we look at when supporting a certain candidate. In his six years in office, Boughton has done a lot for the city. He has focused heavily on education, and renovating our schools. He has built a new Fire Station on the west side of our city, and has a new Police Department being built. He has presented a new plan to preserve open space, and started an impressive city call line -- 311.

Abrantes criticizes Boughton on tax breaks given to developers, higher taxes, and not doing enough to improve and attract people to the downtown area. She says she would like to do many things if elected, such as add twenty-four new police officers, preserve more open space and keep our environment clean, improve downtown, and fix traffic problems. All very bold beliefs and ideas.

Abrantes also says Boughton went the wrong direction when confronting the issue of illegal immigration. Though she has valid points, the Mayor has confronted the problem, which is a very serious problem. He has tried heavily to influence talk within the federal government to address this issue. Though it's a national issue, it may never get discussed to a great degree without the influence of local residents throughout the country. That's what we've seen in this city.

This election also needs to be about the future. We have serious overcrowding issues within our school system, who have to make traffic improvements, and attract more people and businesses to the city, as well as many others. We need to elect someone who can deal with these problems.

Abrantes has run on a message that "Danbury can do better", and of course it can. Boughton says that he wants to continue to make Danbury the “greatest place to live, work, and be educated." Though Abrantes has come up with bold ideas, it is puzzling how she would go about them, and get the funding needed to support them. Yes -- Danbury can be better, but it is not in bad shape, and not headed in the wrong direction.

Based on his record of accomplishments, and ability to get thing done, Mark Boughton has earned a fourth term as Mayor.

The Final Weekend

This weekend both Democrats and Republicans are out in full force trying to get the vote out. Driving around the city today I saw pamphlets for both sides, as it has become clear that many races will be determined by whoever wins the get out the vote effort.

So, what do you think is going to happen? This may be one of the most interesting local elections we'll see. Just three days left!

Abrantes Has TV Ad

Democratic mayoral candidate Helena Abrantes has released a TV ad. It targets Mayor Boughton, and questions his leadership. Here is a transcript of the ad:

Irresponsible development means more traffic congestion. Tax giveaways for big residential developers means more taxes for us.

As our mayor Helena Abrantes wants to restore vision, hope, respect, and results for Danbury.

Helena Abrantes: leadership, experience, respect for community, respect for family.

Elect Helana Abrantes Mayor. Danbury can do better.

With only four days to go, this race, along with many others are going to be very interesting to see the outcome of.

News-Times Endorses Boughton

The News-Times endorsed Mayor Mark Boughton for a forth term today. You can read it here.


Boughton's accomplishments seemed to be why the chose him, as they mentioned them. Here is probably the biggest reason behind the endorsement of the Mayor:

Schools have been expanded. Construction has begun on a new police headquarters. Construction has been completed on a westside firehouse. The ugly battle between Boughton and the police union over a contract has been resolved.

However, they did criticize Boughton's leadership skills, but in the end said he was best qualified. Remember, this Sunday we will be making our endorsement for Mayor.

Very Important Voting Information

Get ready for one of the most confusing posts you will ever read. However, it's also probably one of the most important one's you'll ever read too. This post is going to explain the ballot for this year's election, and explain how the votes for different races are really counted.

To begin with, the four top races for the office of Mayor, City Treasurer, City Clerk, and Town Clerk are all the same. Like many would expect the candidate with the most votes of the two wins. It's simply by popular vote.

Now onto the somewhat confusing races. The Common Council at Large consists of seven elected members. There are six Democrats and seven Republicans running. The way this works is the top seven people that earn the most votes, of the total thirteen candidates, are elected. For example, all seven Republicans could win, or five Democrats could win and only two Republicans.

Okay, that's not that confusing, right? Well, it's only going to get more fun! When it comes to electing candidates for the Council by wards, many people get confused about who wins. As many know, each ward gets two Council members. Each party runs two candidates, for a total of four candidates. The top two candidates with the most votes win. Many believe that a ward has to elect both Republicans, or both Democrats, but that is not true. In fact, the first ward used to have one member from each party representing them. This doesn't happen often, but if you have two well known candidates running from opposite parties, that are well liked by the public then it is definitely possible. Currently, each ward has two Council members from the same party, but that could very well change this year.

The Board of Education can get very confusing, especially this year. Democrats hold a 6-5 majority, which they will still hold this year because they have three seats up for bid, and the Republicans also have three seats up. However, there is also one more seat up for grabs because of the death of a former Republican school board member. The Republican who filled the seat at the time, Richard Jannelli, is running for it this year. He will win automatically because the Democrats did not run anyone for that one seat. Like mentioned earlier, each party has three open seats. The Democrats chose to run just three candidates, and they will all win because they only have three spots to fill. The Republicans nominated six people (the most they can for the school board) to fill their three seats. So, actually the Republicans will be running against each other because the top three vote getter's of the six will win the three open seats. Just to note the Republicans can't try to earn the majority because each party has the same number of seats up for grabs. They had the chance in 2005 when each party was guaranteed two seats, and the fifth seat was up for grabs. Republicans could have won the seat by earning more votes than the Democrat, but they did not. This can only happen when a Republican Mayor is running for re-election.

The Zoning Commission elects nine people. The majority can only be a 5-4 member ratio, which Republicans currently have. The top four candidates of each party will win. The ninth seat is filled by comparing the Republican with the fifth highest votes to the Democrat with the fifth highest vote. Whoever has more votes, wins the seat, giving their party the majority. It is slightly similar to the Board of Education.

The Zoning Commission Alternates are also chosen like the regular Zoning members are. However, instead of nine members, there are only three. Each party definitely gets one person, and the third person is decided by putting the second highest candidate of each party's results up against each other. Whoever has more votes win the seats, and gives their party the majority.

Constables are also elected this way. There are five of them. The top two of each party win, and then head to head results are compared between the next closest candidate of each party. The one with more votes win, and gives their party the majority.

To wrap it up, though some candidates have their names placed above and below each other, they are technically not solely running against them. The only ones that do truly run against each other are the races for the top four offices.

Gee, it sure can get confusing, but it's very important information to know!

Nancy Johnson Endorses Giuliani

Yesterday, Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani made a trip to Connecticut to accept the endorsement of former Congresswoman Nancy Johnson. You can read it here.

Johnson served twenty-four years in Congress, and was considered a moderate, typical New-England Republican. She said that Giuliani was the best choice for the GOP to make, and brings enthusiasm to the party.

Many do believe this to be true in our state, as Giuliani has a chance at winning Connecticut in the general election. Polls have shown that Giuliani has a very solid lead in our state's Republican primary. Giuliani already has the support from many state legislatures. Congressman Chris Shays has shown that he likes John McCain. Mitt Romney has the backing of Mayor Mark Boughton, who is co-chairing his efforts in the state. Most Democratic Connecticut legislators are supporting Chris Dodd in his quest for the Presidency.

New Voting Machines Info

As most of you know, this year the voting system has changed in Connecticut. Instead of the lever machines, we will now have optical scan voting machines. Since many are not sure how this works, I have decided to include a video from the Secretary of State's office, which details how you will be voting this year. Just remember to be careful, and take your time. I will be posting on how many people you need to vote for in certain races, and ballot placement soon. You can view the video here.

The Race For Mayor

Today, the News-Times ran two good articles on mayoral candidates Mark Boughton and Helena Abrantes. The following are some of the highlights of each article.

Democratic challenger Helena Abrantes said that her campaign is being driven by her roots, and community involvement. You can read the article here.

Abrantes questioned Boughton's leadership on the issue of illegal immigration.

By calling attention to the influx of illegal immigrants in the city several years ago, he has polarized the city and embarrassed its residents, Abrantes said.

According to former Mayor gene Eriquez, Abrantes is not making the mistakes that the last Democratic candidate for Mayor, Dean Esposito made.

"She's been knocking on doors. She's been going to community events.
She's been in front of people. She's been doing radio ads. She's been doing mailings. Those are the ingredients you need," Eriquez said.

Abrantes herself said that she's running because she enjoys making the community better.

"I've always enjoyed doing things for the community. It's done in a
quiet way. I'm not one to be out in public with the things I do," Abrantes said.

Incumbent Republican Mark Boughton said that this year's campaign is different than any other, as his father is very ill. You can read the article here.

Boughton says the campaign has not gone as planned, and he has faced many different challenges.

"It's been a different campaign," Boughton said. "There are some things you just can't focus on. You have to manage the city until 4:30 p.m., and then you have to knock on doors, and then you have to make sure the mail is getting out," Boughton said. "It's hard to do that when you're talking to doctors about a medical crisis."

Supporters say Boughton will easily win re-election.

"The mayor is going to win. He will have an overwhelming majority. He will have his strongest showing ever," Custumpas said.

Boughton says leadership is very important in being Mayor.

"You need a plan to lead. It isn't enough to say, 'We need a change.' Anybody can knock down a barn. It's a lot harder to build it," Boughton said.

New Web Page

I came across a special web page on the News-Times today which is devoted entirely to the 2007 election. I thought it was very well done, and it's nice to see that they have spent more time on this election. You can view the page here.

Hillary The One To Beat

"If this were a wedding, we'd be at the 'speak now or forever hold your peace' part.''

I came across a very interesting article regarding Hillary Clinton and the Democratic nomination. You can read it here.

As of now, it is very clear that Hillary is the front-runner for the nomination, as she has a lead in just about every poll. Many say that if she wins the Iowa Caucus, then she'll have no problem with getting the nomination.

If anyone is going to truly consider giving her a serious challenge then, just like the article says, that time is now. I doubt anyone but Obama could really give her a run for her money. Edwards possibly could if he wins Iowa.

With just weeks to go until the primaries start, it's safe to say that this is going to be very fun to watch, and that's just the Democrats. The Republican race is going to be extremely competitive, and even more fun.

Campaign Cash

Mayor Mark Boughton has raised a total of 50,835 dollars in his quest to win a fourth term. His Democratic challenger, Helena Abrantes, has raised a total of 13,625 dollars. Boughton has $12,232 cash on hand, where as Abrantes has $8,506. You can read the article here from the News-Times.

Abrantes says that she isn't letting money get in the way of her campaign.

"I'm doing very well. You have to remember, I'm not getting the money from the developers. I'm getting money from the core people - people who have businesses in Danbury and people who live in the city themselves. No, I don't have as much money as him, but I'm doing very well."

Boughton claimed that he has a strong base of support which is why his numbers are higher.

"I accept donations from businesses and businesspeople and from people who agree with the way I run the city. It's always been that way. The only promise I make upon receiving a donation is good government."

With less than two weeks left, I wonder how much of a role money will really play.

Two Weeks Left!

In 14 days voters will go to the polls. That's right it's just two weeks away! This post gives you the chance to make predictions. Who will be elected to each of the top four offices? Which way will the Council go? Just comment with your choices and predictions.

Four Women Making It Interesting

"I'm in, and I'm in to win." Those were the words spoken earlier this year by Hillary Clinton, the front-runner Democratic candidate for President, and the first woman running who has a very good chance at winning the White House. Less than one-hundred years ago, women were not allowed to vote, let alone run for public office. Today, that has changed. We see it nationally with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senator Hillary Clinton, as well as Secretary of State Condolezza Rice. We see it within our state, as we have a female Governor. We also see it locally, and perhaps this year more than we have ever seen before. Whatever the case, women have moved up the political system, something that has taken too long to happen.

Here in Danbury, we have a woman as our City an Town Clerk, seven women are on the Council, and six of eleven members are women on the Board of Education. However, this election four women have single handily made two top office races very interesting.

Jean Natale, Eileen Coladarci, Lori Kaback, and Pudgie Delohery are all competing to either keep or take control of the City or Town Clerk's seat. Those two races have become the most competitive of the top four offices.

In the City Clerk's race, Republican Jean Natale is trying to keep her seat for another two years. First elected by nearly 1,700 votes in 2003, she earned a second term in 2005 winning by about 400 votes. She faced Eileen Coladarci in 2005, who has decided to challenge her again this year. She took many votes away from Natale in 2005, and is trying to pick up even more this year. Natale seems to understand the challenge is no joke, and is working very hard to keep her seat. However, Coladarci is also working hard.

The race for Town Clerk is the most exciting because it features two very known people in our city. Incumbent Lori Kaback is trying to keep her seat that she won in 2005 by over 1,500 votes. This year she is facing Republican Pudgie Delohery, President of D.A.Y.O. Republicans would love to take back the Town Clerk's seat, however it isn't going to be easy. As said earlier, Kaback is very well known, and fairly popular. Though, Delohery is also well known. Politics shouldn't be a popularity contest, but this race may very well end up being one.

These four women have made this year's election even more exciting. They are fiercely out campaigning, and all vying for support. They have also shown us that women have made a difference in the political process. Democrats even nominated a woman for Mayor, Helena Abrantes. We have just sixteen days until voters go to the polls. Will they make history, and elect a woman Mayor? And which two of these four women will they elect as our next City and Town Clerk?

GOP Iowa Caucus

The Republicans have set January 3, 2008 as their date for the Iowa Caucus. That is only 76 days away! As of now, the Democrats I don't believe have a date set for their caucus.


Current polls have Mitt Romney ahead in Iowa, with Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani virtually tied for second. Mike Huckabee is in fourth, and John McCain in fifth. Just to note, Romney won the Iowa Straw Poll in August with Huckabee coming in second. McCain, Giuliani, and Thompson did not actively participate in the straw poll.


So, will Romney's lead hold up, or can someone catch him by January in the state? Also, Hillary Clinton narrowly has a lead in Iowa with Barack Obama and John Edwards behind her. This is sure going to be fun to watch!

Educational Forum

Yesterday, the News-Times editorial board interviewed both candidates for Mayor. You can read the story here. However this post is going to focus mainly on the forum that took place the other night at Roger's Park between the mayoral and Board of Education candidates.

Overall, I felt that it was a good event that gave the public good insight on the views of the candidates. Overcrowding was the big issue that dominated the debate, whereas other issues such as No Child Left Behind and planning for the future were brought up as well.

All but three candidates running for the school board were there. Absent were Democrats Rachel Austin and Chairperson Susan Podhajski, as well as Republican Christiane Santos Hernandez. All candidates present answered different questions, but many were similar in some way.

It was a good opportunity for voters, especially ones with students. The City Wide PTO did a nice job. For those who couldn't make it, the event will air on Comcast on Saturday.

Third Quarter Fundraising Totals

Today, both candidates for Congress here in the fifth district released their fundraising totals for the third quarter.

Congressman Chris Murphy raised about 220K, which brings his total amount raised to more than 1 million dollars. He currently has 940K cash on hand. His Republican challenger, David Cappiello, raised around 70K down from his impressive 200K he raised last quarter. He has about 204K cash on hand.

Now, the third quarter is typically the toughest quarter to raise money. The numbers are usually lower than any other. For example Murphy raised 137K more the last quarter, and Cappiello is down 130K.

It should be very interesting what happens next quarter. Cappiello will have to make a big statement, whereas Murphy is able to raise a lot of money and will try to even further himself from Cappiello when it comes to fundraising.

Candidates To Talk About Education

This Tuesday night, candidates for Mayor as well as those for the Board of Education will be at Roger's Park Middle School to answer questions from the public mainly regarding education.

Just to note there are seven Board of Education seats open this year. Six of them are for a four year term, and the other is a two year term. I'll have more to come on ballot placing and voting in general in the weeks to come because it can get very confusing.

All those interested in listening to Mayor Mark Boughton and his Democratic challenger Helena Abrantes, as well as those running for the school board should go to Roger's Park on Tuesday night at 7PM.

Poll Results

Our latest poll question was how big you will take the issue of illegal immigration when you vote next month. Here are the results:

Very Big: 54 (66%)
So-So: 1 (1%)
Not Big: 27 (33%)

Thanks to all who voted. The new polls are up, and they all have to do with the upcoming election. They'll remain up until then. On another note, the News-Times has changed their website, and it looks pretty good. Go check it out by clicking here.

Speculation: The Quiet Race

This year, there are very competitive races throughout the top of the ticket, along with those for the Council. However, one race that hasn't gained much attention is the race for City Treasurer between Republican incumbent Dan Jowdy and Democrat Brian Cotter.

Jowdy was elected Treasurer in 2003 by nearly 2,000 votes. He earned re-election is 2005 by a little more than 1,000 votes. Cotter was a former member of the Board of Education and Democratic Town Committee. He is also an attorney.

Now, at many community events, such as the festivals in the late summer and early fall, Jowdy has made a good presence. From what I see, Cotter has not made the presence that Jowdy has. For example, I haven't seen one lawn sign for him. However, that does not mean that he isn't out there. He may be doing many behind the scenes work, connecting with voters one on one.

Jowdy does have many lawn signs out, and is definitely known throughout the city. Cotter does have an ad on the News-Times website, but that's about as much as I've seen. Something interesting to note is that I've noticed a decent number of lawn signs for Jowdy at houses with Democratic signs, just a to see his wide range of support.

One thing is for sure, this race is not going to get really any attention. It's being overshadowed by the races for Town and City Clerk, along with the race for Mayor. It should be interesting what comes out, but truthfully I don't see how Cotter could pull off a win. But hey -- who knows?