Over 36 years, Godfrey says Danbury is bigger, downtown has changed

By Scott Benjamin

DANBURY – Then – October, 1988 – as now – October, 2024 – the Mets and Dodgers were playing in the National League Championship series.

With a portfolio that included serving as a vice president with the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce and on the Danbury City Council – but no endorsements from either Tommy Lasorda or Davey Johnson - Democrat Bob Godfrey was elected of the state House of Representatives from the 110th District in Danbury.

Godfrey’s initial victory came just days after Vin Scully – who, like Godfrey, graduated from Fordham University - announced on NBC Sports, “In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened!” after Dodger Kirk Gibson smashed his walk-off homer in Game One of the 1988 World Series and Oakland’ reliever Dennis Eckersley strode to the dugout.

Sitting in Danbury Democratic headquarters on Main Street in the hub of his legislative district, Godfrey, 76, who is the deputy speaker pro tempore, says the city is “one-third bigger in population” now, with a current population of more than 86,518, than when he was initially elected.

For example, he said there was a large migration from New York City and Westchester County during the pandemic.

“A lot of them chose to come to Danbury because of our school system,” Godfrey explained. “There was support for their kids that they couldn’t find in suburban communities.”

He said that he and other members of the Danbury legislative delegation have succeeded in getting more state funds for the local schools and for construction of Danbury High School West, which is slated to open next year at the former site of Cartus, the relocation company.

Godfrey said he expects a similar effort in 2025 to address the $80 million in repairs that have been proposed at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. He said some parts of the midtown campus “are antiquated.”

The 18-term state representative arrived for freshmen orientation about two years after the Danbury Fair Mall opened on the west side of the Hat City.

Republican Mark Boughton, who served as mayor from 2001 to 2020, has said that the “downtown took a hit” after the mall opened.

Danbury ranks first in the state in sales tax revenue and first, per capita, in restaurants, largely due to the mall.

Said Godfrey, “Downtown has no anchor stores” as it had a generation ago. However, he said a number of small businesses and boutique shops have opened downtown.

He said when he canvasses, he sees two-family houses with at least five names on each of the mailboxes.

“It is the only affordable way that they can rent,” he said.

Godfrey said it is an older population. In recent elections, 70 percent of the turnout has been voters 55 years of age and older.

After winning a primary in August, Godfrey faces Republican Austin Monteiro in the November 5 election. Monteiro ran as a petitioning candidate for first selectman in Brookfield three years ago and was on the Republican ticket for a seat on the Brookfield Board of Education last fall.

Monteiro – a real estate professional and fitness instructor - grew up in the 110th District and returned last spring and promptly garnered the GOP nomination. Like Godfrey, he graduated from Immaculate High School, located in the district.

He told Patch.com this summer that Danbury has a high number of illegal immigrants and that he estimates that 95 percent of the illegal immigrants in Danbury reside in the 110th District.

Does Godfrey agree?

“I don’t have any figures,” he said in an interview with Patch.com. “I don’t know.”

Anecdotally, does he think that Monteiro’s figure is accurate?.

“No,” said Godfrey.

Monteiro said that “public safety” has been a prominent topic among the voters that he has canvassed.

“Danbury has never been safer,” said Godfrey. He said that the city had a higher crime rate 20 years ago.

Godfrey said he has been considered a leading advocate on gun responsibility since he arrived in the state House. He said the efforts Is ongoing, noting that there have been more than 400 shootings since the massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999.

Political scientists John B. Judis and Ruy Teixeira wrote in their 2023 book, “Where have all the Democrats gone?" that the party is not appealing to working class voters as it had a generation ago.

Commented Godfrey, “I agree with that nationally. We turned our public efforts to identity polices instead of working-class politics.”

He said that isn’t the case in Connecticut.

Godfrey said the bipartisan income tax reduction of 2023 “targeted working families. Rich people didn’t get a tax cut.”

The Democrats enacted paid family medical leave legislation under current Gov. Ned Lamont (D-Greenwich).

Godfrey attended the 2014 rally in New Britain, where Democratic former President Barack Obama praised the state for approving a minimum wage that would rise in 2017 to $10.10 an hour. It is now $15.69 per hour and will increase in January to $16.35 per hour.

Remarked Godfrey, “It has allowed people to put food on the table and a roof over their heads. It is still very expensive to live in Connecticut. Raising the minimum wage bumps a lot of income up.”

Godfrey indicated that in the last six year the result has been that the Democrats have elected Lamont twice and added seats in both chambers of the General Assembly in each of the last three General Assembly elections.

He said during this campaign the national issues have been “percolating down” as he speaks with voters.

Why is that?

“My gut feeling is that people don’t like the idea of a fascist dictator,” declared Godfrey in an apparent reference to the Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump.

Monteiro said that Godfrey’s description of Trump is “a talking point to divide the people of the 110th District.”

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, led Trump by 16 points in Connecticut in the recent CT Mirror poll.

Voters in the 110th District have only elected Democrats to the state House for more than 50 years. This is the district where Jimmy Dyer served for three years before becoming the youngest mayor in Danbury history. His successor, Paul Garavel, was elected at age 21 shortly before he graduated from Western Connecticut State University.

Godfrey criticized Monteiro for “running a really dirty campaign.”

“He’s all but said that I am on EverSource’s payroll,” declared Godfrey, pointing to a recent Monteiro mailer linking Godfrey to the electricity provider.

Commented Monteiro, “He has taken campaign contributions from EverSource. It is public record. He is not really going to be able to fight for the people.”

Godfrey said that he voted against the contract in 2017 with Dominion, which operates the nuclear reactor in Waterford.

He recently told Patch.com that it was a bad agreement then because of the costs and it still is bad agreement.

Godfrey said that part of the problem is that the Public Utility Regulatory Authority (PURA) keeps “letting the electricity people get away with murder.”

He said he is hopeful that might change when former state Rep. David Arconti (D-109) of Danbury takes a seat in January on PURA. Godfrey also said Lamont should fill the two vacant seats on PURA.

Godfrey said he expects Lamont will in January again seek to get approval for converting to all-electric and electric-hybrid vehicles by 2035.

“We need to get off fossil fuels,” Godfrey said, regarding the impact of climate change.

Godfrey told Patch.com last winter that there was a lot of misinformation distributed when the Regulations, Review Committee, which he serves on, considered the measure last fall. Lamont withdrew his proposal when he saw there were not enough votes to get it approved.

He said that people were saying that, “The state is going to take your car away. It was a lie.”

On another topic, Godfrey pointed proudly to a raft of endorsements from labor groups, including the Connecticut Education Association, who placed him on its honor roll. NEA/Danbury representatives have done canvassing and made phone calls to voters. He also was endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers, which represents the faculty at Henry Abbott Tech in Danbury.

Godfrey said teachers have faced hurdles in recent years. He explained that they were “stressed out during the pandemic” and due to the extensive remote learning classes, there was a lack of socialization among students that has posed lingering problems.

He said there were first, second and third-graders, for example, that “didn’t have the opportunity to spend time with their classmates at a very important time in their development.”

Resources:

Interview with Bob Godfrey, Patch.com, Saturday, October 12, 2024.

Phone interview with Austin Monteiro, Patch.com, Monday, October 14, 2024.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danbury,_Connecticut.

Where have all the Democrats gone?” John Judis and Ruy Teixeira, Henry Holt & Co., 2023.

https://patch.com/connecticut/brookfield/godfrey-says-he-impressed-alves-commitment-education

https://patch.com/connecticut/brookfield/going-town-city

Mark Boughton talk at Western Connecticut State University, on Tuesday, February 19, 2013.

https://patch.com/connecticut/...