Dean Esposito was elected as the new mayor of Danbury after defeating his Democratic opponent Roberto Alves, marking eleven consecutive terms for Republican mayors in the city of Danbury. 

Following the announcement of his victory, The DHS Alum proudly posted on Facebook, : “I’m honored to be elected the next Mayor of the City of Danbury. Thank you to Councilman Roberto Alves for a spirited campaign and thank you to the voters of our great city. Together, we will continue Danbury’s success as the shining star in Connecticut.”  

Before his involvement in the race for mayor, Esposito has served as a City Councilman for 5 years before being named the director of consumer protection and sealer of weights in 2006 by ex-mayor Mark Boughton. Esposito was also the Chief of Staff for Mayor Joe Cavo. 

“Danbury is the envy of Connecticut,” Esposito claimed in the mayoral debate. Topics discussed in the debate include economic development, COVID-19, development of downtown, among others. When asked about the funding for Danbury public schools, he remarked on the establishment of charter schools with the support of the state and a Danbury donor.  Esposito believes that the state of Connecticut should “better split” the funds towards schools based on the growth of the population. The city of Danbury is steadily growing as other cities stay the same; therefore, he deemed the flat budget to be unfair. 

Esposito expressed the importance of controlling overpopulation in schools by making this his top priority as mayor to expand the Danbury public school system with a new charter school to sustain the growing student population.

Despite the overpopulation problems in Danbury public school, Esposito stated that “We are blessed here in Danbury with good quality teachers” Additionally, he plans to allocate funds for special education programs directly through the state board of education.

Esposito stated on his website how he believes there is more to be done in assisting those members of Danbury who are struggling with addictions. As mayor, he wants to start a shelter provided by and funded by the state of Connecticut. This shelter will house homeless people as Esposito believes that most of the time the homeless and people suffering from addictions fall into the same category. This shelter will not only supply people with food but will also give them a home as opposed to other shelters. “This gives people the ability not just to get a feed but also to have guidance.”  

Esposito ran and lost as the Democratic mayoral candidate in 2005, running against Boughton. Eventually, he switched parties and became a supporter of Boughton, and now the mayor. Esposito commented on political parties, stating that he is an advocate of Danbury. “In the end, there is Democrat, Republican, and Danbarians, I am a Danbarian” 

A long line of Esposito-family city officials, as well as thirty years of experience serving Danbury, make the mayoral position a natural endeavor for Mr. Esposito. Danbury residents  wish Mr. Esposito good luck, and are looking forward to seeing some positive changes within the community.