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?

Mayoral Debate

I thought I'd include the article that was in the News-Times the other day regarding the Mayoral Debate. You can read it here.

I thought the debate usually airs on Comcast for the public to watch, however I'm not positive. It seems that the issue of immigration did play a large role in the debate, as well as the growth of our city.

If the debate is played on television, then I will do a follow up post on it. If any of you went to watch, feel free to share what you took out of it, and what it was like. Also, Abrantes has put up a website. The link is on the side.

Boughton Backing Romney

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced today his leadership team from Connecticut. Mayor Mark Boughton is part of Team Mitt, and has been chosen as Co-Chair of the Romney operations in our state. You can read it here.

This is very interesting news as many in Connecticut have remained quiet on who they plan on supporting. The candidate with the biggest operation in our state (besides Chris Dodd) would be Rudy Giuliani, who has received much support from Republican state legislators. Many say he is the only Republican who could carry Connecticut in the general election, and is expected to win the state primary.

It should be interesting to see what comes out of this, as it appears Boughton is going to play a pretty big role for Romney.

Speculation: The Council Races

The race to take control of the Common Council has become something that many people have been watching. Republicans currently hold a 14-7 majority, this is down from the 17-4 majority they had two years ago. The question we need to ask ourselves would have to be: what's going to happen this year?

Well, many can guess the outcome, but it really has become a toss-up. Democrats have made it quite obvious that they are trying to take back control of the Council after a four year absence. They have rallied behind many candidates, for at-large seats as well as ward seats. Personally, I feel the Democrats have the advantage when it comes to doing well with the ward races, while the Republicans may do better at-large.

One Democrat who I see possibly winning at-large is Warren Levy who wants to get back on the Council, along with former member John Gogliettino. However, Republicans have many incumbents and well known candidates running, so I do feel Republicans will keep the majority when it comes to the seven at-large seats. Besides that, it may be tough.

Ward four and five have been Democratic strongholds forever, and I doubt anything will change this year. Ward six went Democrat last election, while the remaining four wards are in Republican control. The first and second wards could become a little competitive, especially the second as the Democrats have two very formidable candidates. Ward seven features Chris Halfar, who has rallied in favor of the "Danbury 11". Depending on whether voters view that as good or bad could be what makes or breaks her outcome.

There is no doubt that ward three is the most exciting of the seven. Democrats have put up Lynn Taborsak to try to overtake Council President Joe Cavo. Now, lucky for the Democrats, Taborsak's name is under Cavo's which makes the race even more interesting (I'll have more on ballot placing and explanation as we get closer to the election). James Kelly is also a valid candidate, and a former member, so he shouldn't be overlooked either.

I have tried to make lists after lists of what could happen with the Council, but it is just to hard. The majority could truly be decided based on the mood of the city at the time. I believe that we'll probably see a trend in the results, determining what happens here. For example, if someone like Pudgie nails out a win, along with Jean Natale, two Republicans locked in tough races, then Republicans have a pretty good shot at keeping the majority. However, if Abrantes has a very good showing, along with the rest of the Democrat's top ticket, then they will likely take control.

We may not know what truly is going to happen until a couple of days before the election, though I'm starting to believe that nobody can make a pretty accurate prediction, and we'll just have to wait until November 6th. Hey, I could be very wrong, who knows? One thing is for sure -- this is going to be a very fun October.