Danbury Mayor Joe Cavo to Step Aside After Term, Endorses Dean Esposito

Danbury Mayor Joe Cavo was sworn in as the Mayor of Danbury, CT on December 16, 2020. Cavo stepped up to fill a vacancy left by Mark Boughton, who left to accept an appointment to Deputy of Revenue Services for the State of CT.

Get our free mobile app

Cavo was the President of City Council prior to that, and the City Charter dictates that is the official who is to fill the role of Mayor, should the sitting Mayor exit in the middle of their term.

Cavo came in in the middle of the COVID-19 health crisis and was replacing a very popular Mayor who held the office for neatly 20 years. He would have big shoes to fill and a lot of work ahead. He navigated it all with dignity, and rose to the occasion to lead Danbury in a time of great uncertainty.

The questions began right away for Cavo, everyone wanted to know if he'd run for election when he finished out Boughton's term. Joe Cavo was consistent in his response, time and again, he said he wanted to focus on the work in front of him and he'd make the decision when the time was right.

That time came on Tuesday evening (May 18) when Joe Cavo announced that he would step aside to make way for a different Republican candidate. Cavo and his team addressed the press on the steps of City Hall and the outgoing Mayor said, "While it has been a pleasure to serve Danbury in this position, being retired and working part-time in a capacity for Danbury is what I truly like, and I like it the most. I will not be seeking the office of Mayor this November, but I am not going very far. I will be asking for your support to return to the City Council as a councilman at large in the November election."

The Mayor went on to thank his supporters, staff and his wife, Liz Cavo, before shifting the focus to his Chief of Staff Dean Esposito, saying, "Dean's institutional knowledge of Danbury goes above and beyond that of most because of his experience as a long time City Councilman, Town Clerk and Chief of Staff since 2016. He's worked for two Mayors now. Dean has the patience, understanding and the ability to get the job done, and he works closely with me in all facets of city government, just as he did with Mayor Mark," said Cavo. "It would only be logical in order to keep the success that we have achieved throughout all of these years in a forward direction that I announce my full support of Dean Esposito as candidate for Mayor of the City of Danbury."

Mayor Cavo then turned the podium over to Dean Esposito who thanked Cavo and said, "Ladies and gentleman, thank you for coming this evening, my name is Dean Esposito and I'm running for Mayor for the great City of Danbury." 

Esposito then went on to speak about his roots and his experience in Danbury government, adding, "This is a time of uncertainty, of fear and of challenges everywhere. I've faced it all, I have the experience, the drive and the courage to stand with our entire community and face our challenges head on."

The Democratic Town Committee has endorsed City Council member Roberto Alves as their candidate.