How Danbury Democrats won in the election
Early Tuesday morning a week ago, I was standing at the polls with candidate signs in hand when I heard my throughandthrough Republican neighbor bantering with an exiting voter whom he and I knew, “Good thing I’m here because I’m going to go in there and cancel your vote with mine.”
As he passed me on the sidewalk, we exchanged niceties. I reminded him that it was okay to vote off from Row B and he clearly communicated that wasn’t going to happen. When he emerged from the War Memorial, he came back over to me to tell me that we live in a city that has a twoparty representation. There we stood, neighbors agreeing to disagree agreeably. “Well,” I answered, “that is the hope.”
As a candidate on the ballot and someone involved in past campaigns, I know very well the contradictory circumstances and ambiguous emotions Election Day evokes.
Every year, the first Tuesday of November is the culmination of a whole lot of work done by a whole lot of people over a long period of time who find themselves just trying to get through the day as fast they can. To touch, move, and inspire citizens to vote your way is an exhausting but exhilarating process. And candidates who are on the same team, working the same race together, at the end of it all, are on one side or the other, a winner or a loser.
As Danbury Democrats, we knew that our Campaign for Change was a Homeric undertaking so we started in April going doortodoor to listen. Because we listened, we learned that the problems that mattered most to people and needed solving were those that would positively impact everyone’s quality of life. We came to understand and we embraced the expectations the people of Danbury have of their local government to serve all residents. People wanted answers to the current state of our schools, our roads, our downtown — the consequences of unmanaged growth over the last 18 years.
Party members, candidates, and volunteers worked tirelessly together committed to the belief that our city should expect more from its elected leaders and we dared to defy the odds of beating popular and longserving incumbents. With the most diverse roster of candidates of all Connecticut cities, our slate looked more like the citizenry of Danbury than has ever been seen before. Our campaign to meet people where they are galvanized voters and turnout increased for an alltime high: 165 percent more voters showed up Tuesday than in 2015 and 35 percent more than the last municipal election. This kind of support for Danbury Democrats is unprecedented in recent history.
Yes, our loss at the topoftheticket is a tough one but we are so very proud of our big wins. We have broken the decadeold, supermajority City Council stronghold now that 10 out of the 21 seats are held by Democrats. The Democrats hold majority seats on the Board of Education; and voters swept in a 63 majority of Democratic members to the Zoning Commission. The issues that we campaigned on resonated with Danbury residents and are reflected in these impressive wins.
This year has been a pivotal one for local politics. The Democrats started a conversation with the voters, which isn’t going to end the day after Election Day. In electing Democrats to have real input in City Council matters and to lead the Board of Education and Zoning Commission, the voters have entrusted us to bring their voices to city governance. And it’s already started! The impact of this election was reflected almost immediately in this week’s headline in The NewsTimes: “Enrollment growth and downtown renewal top Boughton’s agenda.”
Even though we worked so hard for more, Chris Setaro and the Danbury Dems are moving forward and now stand on a strong foundation of unity and commitment to work on behalf of all Danbury residents. We are energized and prepared to bring vibrancy, accountability, and transparency to City Hall for the next two years. It’s my hope that my neighbor is as optimistic and enthusiastic as I and my fellow Democrats are that our city now has a twoparty representation.
Election Day 2019 has come and gone, and Danbury, change is here and change is now!
Because we listened, we learned that the problems that mattered most to people and needed solving were those that would positively impact everyone’s quality of life.