Boughton Enters Ninth Election With New Perspective

DANBURY, CT — Mayor Mark Boughton is no stranger to election season. Going for his record ninth term in the city's highest role, Boughton is more familiar than anyone with election season in the Hat City. But this year, things are different as we approach Nov. 7.

The longtime GOP mayor will run against Democratic challenger Al Almeida for the corner office at City Hall. In addition to the campaign, Boughton is also balancing a pitch to tech giant Amazon, the state’s longest-ever budget impasse and a recovery from a brain surgery which he said put things in perspective.

He has also formed a committee for statewide office, and state political experts expect Boughton to make his third run at the gubernatorial seat.

“I feel good,” Boughton said of his attitude heading into the race. “I jumped the gun a little bit early on and worked too much. But things have smoothed out”

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This summer, Boughton began feeling headaches and dizzy spells which prompted a visit to the doctor’s office. They discovered a lemon-sized brain tumor known as an epidermoid cyst, and Boughton traveled to Pittsburgh to have it removed by doctors at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

The tumor was benign, but the health scare put things in perspective for Boughton.

“When people come into the office or stop you on the street, you become more empathetic and sympathetic,” Boughton said. “None of us are here forever, and you can get complacent in your health. I smell the roses a bit more now.”

Boughton and Almeida are not strangers. The two served together in the U.S. Army where they became familiar with one another as members of the same unit. Boughton touted Almeida’s service and his willingness to throw his hat in the ring and run, as he hasn’t had a challenger in three election cycles.

“Anyone who throws their hat in the ring deserves credit for that,” Boughton said. “It is the very foundation of our democracy.”

Whoever wins the mayoral seat will deal with a bevy of issues after the state’s longest-ever budget impasse came to an end last week. Boughton said that the dwindling state budget will be the biggest issue facing Danbury within the next five years, and that cuts from the state will hurt the city in delivering services while not increasing taxes

On a local level, Boughton said his focus is on a comprehensive transportation plan, public works projects, and the construction of the new wing of Danbury High School. Almeida challenged Boughton on several issues, chiefly traffic congestion. The challenger says the city has been without a comprehensive traffic plan in years, and told Patch the mayor has been ignoring the issue for years.

Part of that neglect, Almeida argues, stems from Boughton’s desire to seek state office. This is the third election cycle in which Boughton has formed an exploratory committee for state office, with many believing he has his eyes set on the gubernatorial seat.

City Democrats have slammed Boughton for ignoring the city’s issues, suggesting the mayor views his current post as a consolation prize.

“To suggest for some reason that I see [being Danbury’s mayor] as a consolation prize is same old rhetoric they have tried to use before,” Boughton said in response to the criticisms. “If [being mayor is] what I do for the remainder of my career, then it is the greatest honor of all.”

As he enters his ninth election day as mayor Tuesday, Boughton said he felt proud to be at the helm in city hall. Calling being Danbury’s mayor the “greatest experience of his life,” he asked voters to help him continue the work in the city.

“All in all I’ve been proud to lead this city,” Boughton said. “I’m asking for two more years because we have more work to do.”

Image: Jessica Hill/ Associated Press.