Though Mayor Art Ward isn’t ready to make a final decision, he’s clearly eyeing reelection this fall.
“As challenging as this year has been, in all probability I’d welcome the opportunity to see it through and bring the community back in a positive mode,” Ward said Thursday.
Ward captured the mayor’s office in a hard-fought campaign in 2007 against Republican Ken Johnson, who said on the night of his defeat that he would run again in 2009.
But it isn’t yet clear whether Johnson will leap into the fray again. There’s at least a chance that freshman city Councilor Ken Cockayne will take on the mayor, assuming Ward opts to run.
Ward said that at this point, he is “so involved in the budget process and the business before me that I’m still weighing all” options in terms of his political future.
Ward, who served on the City Council from 1993 until his election as mayor, took the helm from Republican Mayor William Stortz, who stepped down after a single term. There are some who think Stortz may try to recapture the job again this year, a possibility he doesn’t deny.
It’s been awhile since a mayor has run for reelection and won.
Stortz defeated incumbent Democratic Mayor Gerard Couture in 2005 to take the mayor’s post, which he had also held in the early 1990s.
Couture served only a single term, marked by controversy over his push for the city to buy the decrepit downtown mall.
Before Couture, Democrat Frank Nicastro was mayor for a decade. He decided in 2003 to give up the job, though he didn’t give up on politics. Nicastro is currently both a city councilor and the 79th District’s state representative.
Ward said he’s so busy with municipal business that politics is taking a back seat.
“You need to deal with what’s put in front of you. That’s leadership. You’re elected to represent the people regardless of situation and that’s our focus and that’s our goal,” Ward said.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
45 comments:
Your piece fails to mention the despicable primary campaign Ward waged against Ellen Zoppo.
Bristol revealed its true colors then, and some of us haven't forgotten the shameful antics by the Ward supporters.
Yes, it was a bitter primary. No question about that. Anybody who wants the details can just go back and read the many blog entries here about it.
I didn't mention it because so far I have no reason to think there will be a primary this year. Nobody has so much as hinted to me of a challenge to Ward from within Democratic ranks, though there's still considerable discontent with him there.
I hope he does commit. All in all he has been a good mayor so far.
It's been two years now and we are on the verge of a new municipal election cycle. I think it's high time that Ellen and her supporters give up the tantrums about the '07 primary. It's ancient history now. If she wants to take another shot in '09 so be it, but move on already.
Ellen Zoppo = Sour Grapes!
She has moved on.Just watch Ward when she is in the same company as him . You can feel the ice cold chill coming from the chip on his shoulders.
Ellen is over with and Art is mayor. This is about him running again, not her. She lost, and would lose again.
Do not count on her getting beat by him again. She learnd alot from that campaing but the voters learned even more.
It is true...the voters have Ellen's number now. She wouldn't dare run again and lose by even more. Art is doing a good job and is well respected by Republicans and Democrats. He'll be a shoe-in.
a clarificartion - Arty has a hard time being in the same room as Ellen, its not likewise - she has definately moved on - he has his demons and the people who supported him and the campaign they ran. Its not about Ellen and its not about sour grapes - its about a lot of regular, normal people who still feel completely disgusted about how that went down. Leave Ellen out of this. Its about him not her. And where is the DTC leadership on that issue? Nowehre, that's where, and that is another issue that some of the rank and file dems in town don't like as well - the leadership should have gotten everyone in the room - they chose not too.
Zoppo won't run because she doesn't need politics - she did it and walked away and is doing what she wants and is making a difference at the Girls Club from what people say. The difference is the ego piece with Ward and others before him who see their political life as their calling card to be somebody important. They can't walk away because then they are nobody again. And after not having much to claim as accomplishments in their personal or work life, politics is everything.
Those you who are still seething about the primary: let it go. Everyone else has, including Ellen.
I hate when Ellen's name is dragged into it. She is SO not living in the past. I agree that it is just too bad they the Democrats never healed the wound. She would have been an asset with all her experience as an adviser to the council and the mayor. The Dems are there own worst enemies sometimes. Good luck to Mayor Ward, and to everyone else - leave Ellen out of looking back or forward. She paid her dues and we are better off for her srevice.
Ward will run so he can keep protecting his Union's! He will keep giving them everything they want. Just like he did with the last contract voted on.
Frank Nicastro for Mayor, 09!
"Adviser" to the council?! LOL
Um, I think she already is sorta an advisor to the Council.
Ward was/is not one for making decisions.
He got what he wanted:
Zoppo out
Title of Mayor
Increased pension
And he does not want to suufer defeat.
Prediction: he will not run or he will get beat.
Is Art doing his job? Yes.
Is he doing a good job in difficult times? Yes.
Should he seek reelection? Yes.
Does he stand a good chance of winning? Yes.
Fair warning: If you run again Mr. Ward...
I will work tirelessly for your opponent, and so will everyone I know.
I will give the maximum $$ contribution to your opponent's campaign, and so will everyone I know.
You better dust off the skeletons in your closet because all your misdeeds are going to be put on display for everyone to see!
Do yourself a favor and go "quietly into the night" or you will regret the day you decided to run for reelection.
We're organized, ready and waiting...
Hey I Predict,
Don't believe everything your crazy 8 ball tells you....it's been wrong before.
Oooooh, boogie-boo, Karma's coming!
I will match you, Karma, dollar for dollar and hour for hour. So will everyone I know.
Dear Karma,
If you truly understood what "karma" means, you wouldn't be making veiled threats and innuendos. What comes around goes around....you might just end up on the losing end (again).
KARMA AND KEWPIE DOLLS MEAN THE SAME THING, BOTH SHOULD BE STUCK WITH LARGE SPIKES IN ORDER TO GET RID OF THE HOT AIR.
There are three former Mayors living in Bristol .All three are not impressed with what is going on here .SO do not be surprised if any one of them take a shot at the top spot.
so which headline is correct steve, the one here, "ward eyes reelection, but isn't ready to commit" or the one in today's press stating "ward plans to seek reelection"?
Fair warning: If you run again Mr. Ward...
I will work tirelessly for you, and so will everyone I know.
I will give the maximum $$ contribution to your campaign, and so will everyone I know.
Your opponents have already tried to dig the skeletons in your closet and couldn't find any misdeeds to be put on display for everyone to see!
Do yourself (and us) a favor and "keep moving Bristol forward" or you will regret the day you decided to not to run for reelection (and we'll regret it too!).
We're organized, ready and waiting...and we're looking for-Ward to your reelection!
Which headline reflects the story better?
Sounds like Steve is getting testy
Go, Art!!!!
"There are three former Mayors living in Bristol .All three are not impressed with what is going on here"
Guess that makes us even. Most of us weren't all that impressed with the three former mayors either....
7:39 - U kneed 2 revue da list of 4mer maeers living in bristol - duh - more like 5 instead of 3.
I don't remember Ellen.
Couture, Stortz, Leone, Nicastro, live in Bristol.
Norton is in Farmington, and Werner is in Florida.
Did you talk to any of them?
Why os Ward afraid to stand up to Nicastro?
I wouldn't be surprised if Nicastro or Couture ran.
Keep tuned.
Please identify the accomplishments of the Ward Administration. And please..don't start about the two year stuff...he has been on the City Council for 14 years prior to being mayor...so he knows the drill.
YES I DID BUT I SHOULD HAVE SAID THREE DEMS SORRY ABOUT THE MISTAKE THANKS FOR CORRECTING ME
The best thing that Ward has going for him is the Republican Party.
What republican Party?
Anon: I talked to two of the former dem mayors and you are correct. They are quite unhappy with him.
The former Dem mayors are probably jealous. I don't remember them doing as well in office as Art has.
Let's see who the 2 might be - can't be nicastro because ward gives him room to pound his chest, can't be leone 'cause he is retired and could care less, can't be couture 'cause he is pissed at the world and isn't tallking politics with anyone - 8:00pm - i think you are full of it.
Don't forget, Nicastro has an ego and Leone never left the mayors office, at least in his own mind.
The only one that gets my vote before Ward is Bill Stortz!
Is Ward the idea behind todays (fri) comic strip, The Wizard of Id, in the Courant?
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