Monteiro explores multiple political opportunities

By Scott Benjamin

BROOKFIELD – Although he fell just short of collecting 40 percent of the vote last November, Austin Monteiro says his ambitious campaign in the 110th state House District in Danbury generated opportunities.

Monteiro, a Republican, was defeated by state Rep. Bob Godfrey, a Democrat who is the state House Speaker Pro Tempore and who was first elected in 1988 in the district, which encompasses much of Danbury’s downtown.

Monteiro, 42, moved from Brookfield last spring to Danbury, where he grew up. That was shortly after he had been elected as the vice chairman of the Brookfield Republican Town Committee.

He decided in late 2020 to get involved in government.

“The big thing for me was the mismanagement of COVID,” Monteiro declared.

He became an alternate on the Brookfield Republican Town Committee and about eight months later he was recommended by that body’s Vacancy Committee for one of the Other Selectmen’s seats on the three-member board.

He would be on a ticket that would be led by Tara Carr, who had served for 25 years in the U.S. Army and would go on to score the first GOP victory for first selectman in eight years in Brookfield.

However, Monteiro was not recommended by the Republican Town Committee for that summer’s caucus.

He left the Republican Party and then ran unsuccessfully as a petitioning candidate for first selectman. After losing that race, he became an ally of Carr’s, frequently spoke during public comment at the monthly Board of Selectmen’s meetings and then lost in his bid in 2023 for a sear on the Board of Education.

After moving to Danbury last year he canvassed more than 3,500 homes on a motor scooter and delivered the strongest challenge to Godfrey in recent years.

Monteiro emphasized that Republicans only represent 15 percent of the electorate in the district, yet he took nearly 40 percent of the ballots in the general election.

In an interview with Brookfield Patch, he said that over the recent months he has explored running for the chairmanship of the state Republican Party, interviewed with the Danbury Republican Town Committee to run for the GOP nomination for mayor of the Hat City and then after returning to Brookfield interviewed with the Brookfield Republican Town Committee’s Vacancy Committee to run for the party’s nomination for first selectman.

On April 29, the Brookfield Republican Town Committee recommended Zoning Board of Appeals Vice Chairman Karl Hinger as its candidate for the caucus on July 16 at Brookfield High School. Zoning Board of Appeals member Alan Donnelly was recommended instead of Carr for the other seat on the Board of Selectmen.

Monteiro and Hinger each have said they don’t plan to wage a September primary.

Wouldn’t some people find it curious that Monteiro would interview for the Republican nominations for mayor of Danbury and for first selectman of Brookfield within months of each other?

“They can think that,” said Monteiro. “We need people with the right skill set. People with the right professional work experiences to fill these roles.”

He said that he spoke with the Danbury Republicans Recruitment Committee on January 31.

Monteiro said he had encouraged former Mayor Dean Esposito to run again. Esposito had been elected narrowly in 2021 and then lost to Democrat Roberto Alves in 2023.

Monteiro said when Esposito announced that he would not seek the Republican nomination in 2025, some Danbury Republicans urged him to run.

“Was I asked to run for mayor of Danbury? Yes,” said Monteiro. “Was I asked to run for the GOP chairmanship of Connecticut – for Ben Proto’s seat? Yes.”

Proto, an attorney from Stratford, is expected to win another term in June when the State Central Committee elects its leadership team.

“I think people are really happy with the campaign I ran last year,” Monteiro remarked. “That got a lot of attention statewide. So you’re going to get a lot of opportunities.”

Commented Monteiro, “I was asked to explore those opportunities and I chose to run in Brookfield. I think this position out of all of these is the one that is most important at this time.”

He said that he supports Danbury City Council Minority Leader Emile Buzaid in his bid for mayor.

Among other things, he is running with Carr, who is seeking a second term as an Other Selectman. They formally announced their campaign on April 21.

He said that despite being rivals during the 2021 campaign they now talk daily.

Monteiro said that Carr would play a greater role than a typical Other Selectman since she wants to devote considerable time to the position and has experience in writing grants and chairing ad-hoc committees from her term as first selectman.

In a recent interview with Brookfield Patch, Hinger said that there are questions about Monteiro’s decisions over the recent years to run against the Republicans as a petitioning candidate for first selectman in 2021 and then moving to Danbury to run for the state House in 2024.

“That kind of loyalty and trust with the town is something that sets me apart with Austin,” Hinger explained. “He has plenty of good qualities. But he has had different experiences. He is someone who moves around a lot. I do think there are Republicans in town who question his motives.”

Stephen Harding Sr., the chairman of the Brookfield Republican Town Committee’s Vacancy Committee, said that he and the other members of the town committee that made the decision in April on the recommended slate for the caucus respect Monteiro and Carr and have gratitude for their contributions to the town.

Harding Sr., the father of state Senate Republican Leader Stephen Harding Jr. (R-30) of Brookfield, recused himself from voting on the Vacancy Committee for first selectman because he had made an endorsement of Hinger and contributed money to his campaign.

Heather Nimsger., Monteiro’s girlfriend, became a member of the Brookfield Republican Vacancy Committee about 14 months ago. Monteiro said that she was told to recuse herself on the vote for first selectman and Other Selectman.

As for the Republican Town Committee’s recommendation of Hinger, Harding Sr. said. “The Republicans wanted to keep the focus on the performance of this current administration. We did not want other issues creeping into it and having to defend issues that would distract from the main issues that we want to talk about.”

Monteiro commented that he disagrees with Harding’s evaluation.

“The party needs to inspire voters to get out this year,” he remarked. “It comes down to who can do the best job. Tara and I have spoken out more than any Republicans over the last four years on the major issues. We are the ones who have the experience.”

He added, “My professional experience and my community service experience is better than Mr., Hinger’s.”

Democrat Steve Dunn is seeking a nonconsecutive fifth term as first selectman. He and Other Selectman Bob Belden, a former Republican who is now an unaffiliated voter, announced their plans in March to run again this year.

Regarding Monteiro, former Brookfield Board of Education and Republican Town Committee Chairman Matt Grimes said, “I really question his commitment to Brookfield,” Four years ago “he ran for [Other] Selectman right out of the gate even though he had never been elected to office.”

After losing the town committee endorsement “he could have taken it to the caucus or run a primary,” said Grimes, who unsuccessfully challenged Carr for the GOP nomination for first selectman in a September 2023 primary.

“Then he left the party and ran against the party,” exclaimed Grimes, who has endorsed Hinger.

“He collected just 69 votes,” commented Grimes. “Then two years later he goes from being the lowest vote-getter in town to the second-lower voter-getter in town in a Board of Education race.”

“Then he thinks he’s taking over the Republican Town committee and after being elected vice chairman leaves after about a month and loses a race to Godfrey in a [Danbury] seat that a Republican has never won,” Grimes declared.

Grimes exclaimed, “I don’t know how you follow all of that.”

Monteiro complained that none of the candidates were allowed to address the Brookfield Republican Town Committee at its meeting on April 29 when the recommended slate was approved. He said candidates had that option in recent election cycles.

Harding Sr. said that was a decision made by the RTC’s Executive Committee.

Harding Sr. said all of the prospective candidates had already had the opportunity to present themselves through the interview with the Republican Vacancy Committee.

Carr stated the Republican Town Committee (RTC) has recently made some ill-advised decisions.

In an e-mail interview with Brookfield Patch, she stated, the RTC leadership underwent major changes 1.5 years ago and the new committee has been facing the challenge of trying to repair a fractured RTC that, frankly, crippled our chances to keep our majority during the last election.”

“That fracturing was brought about by one individual who put his selfish needs before the needs of the town and the party,” she stated in an apparent reference to Grimes.

Grimes declared, “The fracture of the party came from her lack of leadership and poor job performance.”

Former Brookfield Democratic Town Committee Chairman Aaron Zimmer told Brookfield Patch shortly after the 2023 municipal election that Carr made an error in not reaching out to Grimes and his allies after the primary.

Regarding the recent decisions of the Brookfield Republican Town Committee, Carr wrote, “So, the focus of the last 1.5 years has been on how to unify the party. Unfortunately in their desire to create ‘unify’” the RTC over-corrected, as can be seen in the outcomes of the selectees from the vacancy committee by opting to support ‘safe’ candidates rather than to rally behind some of our past leaders who have championed the people’s concerns, who have a greater grasp on the issues affecting our community and who also have real solutions to town problems.”

Monteiro exclaimed, “I would go with Tara, who is someone who has won elections and has experience.”

Carr. generated a burst of excitement in 2021. Some members of the Republican Town Committee at the time said she was “head and shoulders above” the candidates that they had nominated in recent years.

Before long, there were large “It’s Time For Tara” signs posted through town and the party captured its most impressive municipal victory since 2005.

During her tenure as first selectman, Carr was praised for her constituent service and social media outreach to keep residents informed about municipal issues.

Brookfield Republican Town Committee Chairman Bobby Guarino said that he got involved in Brookfield government because of Carr. He ran unsuccessfully for town treasurer in 2023.

“She has been fantastic” as first selectman and as an Other Selectman, Guarino commented. “I don’t think it is a knock-on Tara” that she wasn’t recommended for nomination at the caucus.

When asked about Monteiro’s candidacy, Guarino said, “Austin brings a lot of energy to what he does. He puts in a ton of work.”

He added during another part of the interview that the Republican Town Committee “looks for candidates that will best serve all of Brookfield. Karl was best for the role.”

”Karl has a proven track record of being detail-oriented,” Guarino explained “He has experience in managing both people and complex processes, as shown in his professional career”

Guarino commented that Hinger “showed initiative early in the cycle. He put the party first. He resigned from his chairmanship of the Vacancy Committee. He asked other people if they were going to run.”

Regarding the Brookfield RTC’s recommendation for first selectman, Harding Sr. said that his sense among the Republican Town Committee members was that they were interested in “electability.”

He also noted that the Republican Town Committee recommended candidates that ran on Carr’s slate and on Grimes’s slate in the September 2023 primary.

Grimes said it is difficult to predict who will win at the party caucus.

He said it also not clear if the turnout will be as high as the roughly 300 Republicans that turnout out at Whisconier Middle School two years ago.

Grimes said although there is a race for the two seats on the Board of Selectmen there apparently will not be challenges for the other office up for nomination, as was the case two years ago.

Despite having been opponents in the 2021 municipal election, Carr campaigned for Monteiro in Danbury last year.

Carr wrote, “My thoughts on Austin have not changed since I met him in 2021. There are two characteristics that impress me the most about Austin: a) He doesn’t care whether a voter is Democrat, Republican or Unaffiliated. His focus is solely to help all residents with the complex issues that municipalities face here in CT b) Austin is the type of person who can succeed as a first selectman because he genuinely cares about the issues affecting our residents and has been a stalwart advocate on issues important to the people.”

Michelle Botelho of Danbury, who has made a bid for the Republican nomination for Congress in the Fifth District in 2022 and 2024 , said she met Monteiro in 2023 while assisting Brookfield Republicans in canvassing the town during the municipal election when Monteiro was seeking a seat on the Board of Education.

“He’s a hard worker,” she said. “He wants to make things better. He listens to people.”

Monteiro said that perhaps his best learning experie3nce for running for first selectman was owning a CrossFit Gym – fitness center – in Danbury from 2009 to 2019

“We were in the top one percent of CrossFit gyms in the world – 14,000 of them – from a revenue and membership standpoint,” he remarked.

He started with no members with a gym in his garage. The business grew into a fitness center with 250 members.

“It became a hub for local engagement,” said Monteiro. “We raised over $150,000 for charities in my time there”

Today, five of his former coaches own CrossFit Gyms.

He said he began playing golf at age seven, was an all-state player while attending Immaculate High School in Danbury and later caddied for PGA tour pro Phil Mickelson.

He is a member at the Waterbury Country Club and has been a member at the Richter Park Men’s Club in Danbury.

Monteiro said he obtained his real estate license in 2017.

“My family has owned a lot of properties in the Danbury area for literally the last 100 years,” he explained.

Monteiro said that he started in commercial real estate by “managing a big chunk of my family’s properties.”

He now works at another company as an asset manager that provides an “investment platform” for investors.

“They can grow their personal platforms through real estate,” Monteiro commented.

On the issues: Regarding Hinger’s recent proposal for a townwide moratorium on multi-family housing construction, Monteiro said he agreed with Dunn’s recent comments that it probably would be “Illegal.”

There has been a moratorium for months on multi-family projects in the 198-acre Brookfield Village Center near the Four Corners intersection on Federal Road. Some municipal officials that there has been too much development in a short period of time.

“[A town-wide moratorium] is something that is not a good idea,” declared Monteiro. “ I don’t think he really knows what he is saying . I don’t know if Mr. Hinger is aware” of the impact on economic growth.

Monteiro said that although he is concerned about the rapid increase of high-density housing in Brookfield Town Center, a lot of the proposed projects , such as the parcel at 777 Federal Road, which was a former shopping center, already have been approved by municipal officials.

He said that Brookfield Town Center has not turned out the way he would have done it. However, Monteiro added that the Republicans have criticized Dunn about multi-family housing for nearly a decade and it largely “hasn’t been a super-successful” strategy.

Additionally, he said Brookfield’s grand list can grow in the coming years if it takes the correct steps “from a commercial standpoint.”

Monteiro said that about 45 acres of Brookfield land at Berkshire Corporate Park (BCP) is still available. Over the last decade Eastern, a call center, and Branson Ultrasonics have established facilities at BCP

He said there also is future potential at the 39-acre Cornfield on Junction Road, which has attracted corporate tenants over the recent years.

Monteiro said the anticipated opening later this year of the Food Emporium supermarket at Emporium Plaza on Federal Road in Brookfield Town Center “has the potential to change the dynamic of that area.”

He said it will likely attract customers from other sections of Brookfield as well as southern New Milford and Bridgewater.

Regarding the proposed $91.2 million municipal budget that was at referendum this week: Monteiro said it could have been “streamlined”

He indicated that further savings in health care costs and energy purchases could have lowered the spending increase.

Dunn has said that if he is re-elected the expansion of the municipal police facilities and the renovation of the former Center Elementary School (CES), would be his top two priorities. He has added that the police facilities should be addressed first since the current headquarters on Silvermine Road, which was constructed in the 1980s, does not conform to current federal police standards.

An ad-hoc committee was appointed early this year and is studying whether to expand the current headquarters or build a new one at another site.

Monteiro said that he agrees that the police facilities should be the top priority.

He said that he would be more active than the current administration in seeking state grants, noting that Danbury Democratic Mayor Roberto Alves has been able to annex more state funding for his city since taking office in 2023.

Monteiro said he also supports Dunn’s plan to have the costs for both the expansion of the police facilities and the renovation of CES established before either project goes to referendum, so that voters can judge the overall fiscal impact over the coming years.

On another topic, Monteiro said he opposes the proposed expansion of the Iroquois natural gas compressor station near High Meadow Road. He said that if the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the application it would be a challenge to overturn, but “it would not be impossible.”

He said in the coming weeks, Brookfield residents should make “a field trip” to Hartford to speak to Gov. Ned Lamont (D-Greenwich) or state Department of Energy & Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes to underscore their opposition to the proposed expansion of the compressor station.

Monteiro said he agrees with Carr, who said in a 2023 Patch.com interview that Brookfield is at a “tipping point” with a population moving toward 18,000. He said that when it reaches 20,000 there should be discussion of increasing the Board of Selectmen from three members to five members and/or adopting a town manager form of government.

He said he is not sure if he would support a five-member Board of Selectmen, but that it should be considered when the population reaches 20,000.

He said his recent legislative campaign in Danbury would be of help since there are a number of issues in which municipal officials in Danbury and Brookfield can join forces.

Monteiro commented that the last five years has provided him with a skills-based curriculum on municipal government.

He said when he became an alternate on the Brookfield Republican Town Committee in late 2020, he didn’t even know how candidates got nominated.

“I’ve learned about the players in the game,” Monteiro said. “I’ve learned about how you talk to people. I’ve learned the best way to spend your money.”

Resources:

Interview with Austin Monteiro, Patch.com, on Saturday, May 3, 2025.

Phone interview with Austin Monteiro, Patch.com, on Sunday, May 11, 2025.

Phone interview with Austin Monteiro, Patch.com, on Wednesday, May 14, 2025.

Phone interview with Austin Monteiro, Patch.com, on Monday, May 19, 2025.

Phone interview with Stephen Harding Sr., Patch.com., on Saturday, May 10, 2025.

E-mail interview with Tara Carr, Patch.com, on Tuesday, May 13, 2025.

Phone interview with Matt Grimes, Patch.com, on Thursday, May 15, 2025.

Phone interview with Michelle Botelho, Patch.com, on Thursday, May 15, 2025.

Phone interview with Bobby Guarino, Patch.com, on Thursday, May 15, 2025.

Phone interview with Karl Hinger, Patch.com, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.

E-mail material from a source to Patch.com, on Saturday, May 17, 2025.

https://patch.com/connecticut/brookfield/democrats-come-long-way-one-year

https://patch.com/connecticut/brookfield/mark-date-july-16

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