The Republicans plan tonight to nominate Mary Alford, a 62-year-old bookkeeper, as their new mayoral candidate.
Alford hasn't run for political office before, but she's always had an interest.
During a stop at the Press this morning, she said she views economic development "as the lifeblod of a city. Education is really the heart, hwere the young get trained to take over."
She said that public safety is crucial and hailed the police and fire departments as "some of the best anywhere."
Alford even have kind words for public works, which she said does "a terrific job under very difficult circumstances."
Alford said she doesn't know incumbent Mayor Art Ward and did not want to criticize him.
She said she decided to run after the GOP's city chairman, T.J. Barnes, asked her to consider it following John Gill's decision to pull out of the race this month.
"There should always be a choice. That's what we do in this country," Alford said.
Barnes said that Alford deserves "big kudos" for having the courage to step into the political arena.
"Mary has a lot of enthusiasm and energy," Barnes said, and can "put a smile on her face through good times and bad."
The Republican Party plans to endorse Alford in a meeting at 7 p.m. tonight at City Hall.
I'll have more on her later today.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
44 comments:
Wow...a woman for Mayor...that could be exciting!
To Ms. Mary Alford. I would like to say hello and hope to meet you and introduce myself. I promise you that i am here to talk about the issues and issues only .Once agian welcome and good luck
"There should always be a choice. That's what we do in this country,"
Someone should explain to her that the Alford Doctrine does NOT exist in Press / Union controlled facist Bristol Ct.
Thank you, Mary. I look forward to learning more about you and your views before election day, but I am thankful that you are giving us voters a choice. A two-party system is always better than one-party government.
She got my vote the whole town should follow.
Mary is an incredible woman and would do this city proud should she get elected.
Might be the shake up that is needed.
How can the Reps even endorse a candidate like this? This is NOT the time to run an inexperienced candidate. The party could have saved much more face by not running anyone for the slot. T.J Barnes....this is embarassing to this community and to your party. If this is the best you can do, it is time to step down!
I'll vote for her.
i have always voted republician. mary has my vote hands down. bristol needs to wake up. get ward out. good luck.
2:29pm Ward proves daily all his so called experience isn't helping. Time for change - lets get the woman in there, so the job can get done. Bye-Bye Artie.
How can you vote for someone you know absolutely nothing about? What a bunch of sheeples!
What has experience brought to this city in the past? We have a downtown that looks like crap and a West end that looks like Bosnia and one of you has the nerve to say that you need experience to run as Mayor! This is why the city will never change...You tax payers keep the same people in office because they don't raise your taxes or lay you off..Look around your city - do you really think all those same guys have helped your city at all? Please!
I'm a republican who will be voting for Ward.
Nothing against Mary because I don't know the lady but she is wasting her time and seems to know it based on her comment that there should at least be a choice.
TJ Barnes should be ashamed of himself. He's running the Republican's into the ground. How can he not come up with a viable candidate? That's his job as party leader. He put up to unknowns, one of which dropped out and couldn't get Burns -- who had a real shot of winning -- to commit. Tim for new leadership at the RTC.
IF over the course of the last decade this is what your so called "EXPERIENCED" politicians have given us, I'll take new blood. These esteemed "EXPERIENCED" politicians have run Bristol into the ground and left the next administration with a hellhole.
EXPERIENCE has got us paying unrealistic property taxes on over inflated real estate and property taxes, which means "EXPERIENCE" is getting more money than what our properties are worth and yet we are still millions in the hole.
EXPERIENCE as mentioned earlier is now asking us to build the Center MAll site. All the millions that "EXPERIENCE" has spent on the consultants, Mr. Rosenthal's salary, the BDDA and all other parties involved in bringing business to downtown Bristol has failed.
EXPERIENCE allows city hall employees to work for multiple towns in the same capacity when if you or I did that it would be unethical and a severe breach of contract.
EXPERIENCE allows city employees and those directly or indirectly to vote on how your hard earned taxpayer money is going to be spent.
Finally, EXPERIENCE has brought very little to this town. If what you want is someone that has shown this kind of experience for this town that we call home, you can stuff it up your arse because this {"EXPERIENCE") has done nothing for this town.
Mary
How about you making an issue of the physical shape of the City. We passed a code inforcment ordinance. That was suposed to clean up the City. I now see more abandoned looking buildings, articles about landlord abuse and a general lack of intrest by the City. We put on extra staff to handle the workload and all that has happened is a truff war. Start to show some leadership and solve some of the problems of all the neighborhoods of the City.
5:41, I'll still take experience over inexperience every time...sorry!
5:41 PM: Hmmm, if I get this right, you think that even with EXPERIENCED leadership, Bristol got into trouble...so now, we should just really let the crap hit the fan by handing the keys to an INEXPERIENCED newbie, and that'll be better cuz it's new???
I'm not sure what you're smoking, but you'd better have plenty to pass around if you expect anyone else to buy that load of BS! ;0)
Ms. Alford can do better than the last two seasoned council, 'good ole boy' members that were elected as Mayor. They had no idea what they got themselves into, and had to scramble to learn. As a woman, she's already ahead.
She's got my vote.
Running a city is not rocket science! Anybody with a high school diploma can be Mayor!
If I was Ward I would be nervous about losing the Mayor spot.
LOL In response to what I am smoking, all I will say is this. To have a group of people that are collectively making oh somewhere around $300,000 a year so the residents can develop the mall site more power to you if you fall for that load of BS. Plainville, Southington and numerous towns have managed to rebuild while this "Experience" has got us into this hole And your excuse of it being acceptable stuns me. I guess with a thought process like that I should be smoking something to wish for a better Bristol.
To 7:14 PM: It certainly may be true that running a city like Bristol isn't rocket science. On the other hand, if you seriously believe that anybody with just a high school diploma can successfully run the city, then you've just qualified for the "Most Ignorant Observation of the Week" award.
I have a Masters Degree but none of my higher education would have prepared me to become mayor. Mary is an experienced bookkeeper, and I'm sure she will use those skills as mayor. You don't always need formal education.
August 26, 2009 9:26 PM - anybody with a high school diploma can run for any office and there have been tons in our State, City council and Federal government! So, to the person on here that said that a person was ignorant to make such a foolish statement - well sir I am thinking you are the ignorant one!
Ward only has a High School education and he can't run the city.
Would be interesting to find out what Stortz did to upset TJ Barnes and his handlers so much that they wouldn't even talk with Stortz.
In general, I like to vote for female candidates over male candidates. I'd like to know more about what Mary brings to the party. While life experience certainly counts for something, Mary is so unknown, its hard to assess her credibility as a candidate. I give her a lot of credit, and hope she can rise to the challenge. We'll see what happens, but now I'm thinking that I'll vote for Ward.
And your EXPERIENCED crew of henchmen even knowing at this point that we are 8 million dollars in the hole want to spend $159,000 after crying poverty to by land to make 23 parking spots because city hall workers/patrons don't want to use the mall or garage to park. Yes, I will too take that omnipotent SEAONED, EXPERIENCE anytime. NOT
4:32 The "EXPERIENCED crew of henchemen" are weighing the pros and cons, and considering the possibility of future expansion of City Hall. It's a wise move to consider all the options, but I guess that wisdom comes with experience.
12:26
I agree!
5:10
We are paying for a downtown Parking study, which logically will result in one or two garages.
Let the employees park in them, and/or the one we already have.
P P P
Prior Positive Planning prevents
P--- Poor Performance
Hey Bill, did you call TJ Barnes and say you might be interested in running for Mayor?
Doing a study for a parking garage that already exists will prevent poor planning...? At a time when we are already 8 million in the hole, this cant be shelved or actually spent on something that can generate revenue? Wait, thats insane. The only entity that generates revenue in this town is the taxpayer.......
If the Republicans spent as much time and energy going after Ward (the issues are there!), as they do in attacking Stortz, Mary and the others might have a chance.
Too bad they let their personal issues get in the way!
Cockayne did not want Stortz: that sealed it.
Nice person, but she is in over her head.
But then, we cans say the same thing about those trying to run the republican party.
Ward was a councilman for what 13or 14 years, gets the mayor`s job by fooling people to vote for him,telling them this is what he stands for then doesn`t stand by his word, This town made a big mistake by not electing Ellen if the town could have turn back the clock the vote would have been different thats for sure Ward isn`t running this town klocko is so what does wards experience bring someone how can`t think on his own time for a change
Good choice by the Republicans! Thank you. Mary has my vote, and I'm a Democrat.
Who is Cockayne?
Cocksayne is one of the string pullers.
That explains a lot of things.
When can we expect her public debut?
Cockayne now has someone he can manipulate.
If he gets reelected.
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