Roberto Alves Announces His Candidacy For Mayor Of Danbury

DANBURY, CT — Former Democratic City Councilman Roberto Alves has announced his candidacy for mayor of Danbury.

This will be Alves' second run for the office. He was defeated by current Danbury Mayor Dean Esposito in a tight race in 2021.

Alves is currently treasurer of the Connecticut State Democratic Party and the chair of the Danbury Democratic Town Committee.

"We gave this administration a year to change and make progress, but instead we got a series of mishaps, unfulfilled promises, and no transparency," Alves said in his announcement Tuesday afternoon. "As a community, we deserve better. We deserve leadership that is accountable, transparent, and truly committed to making a positive impact on our lives."

A product of Danbury’s public schools, Roberto Alves was a city councilman at-large from 2017 to 2019. In a Patch campaign profile, he cited education as the biggest issue of the 2021 race.

Democrats have struggled for decades to grab the mayoral reins away from Republicans in Danbury, who have sat at the big desk in Town Hall for 11 straight terms. Most of that time, the seat was occupied by Mark Boughton, who vacated it to accept a position as the state's tax commissioner in 2020.