Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton pledged Monday that he will be a full partner as lieutenant governor if he is elected on the ticket with Republican Michael Fedele.
Fedele introduced Boughton as his running mate, saying that they intend to capture the nomination at Saturday's Republican convention in Hartford.
But Boughton said after the announcement that they are planning a whole new structure for the lieutenant governor's office than Fedele has had under Gov. M. Jodi Rell.
"I think he hasn't been frankly utilized the way he should have been utilized in the previous administration,'' Boughton said. "We've made a commitment that we'll never run the lieutenant governor's office like that again. You'll be hearing from me. I'll be vocal, and I'll be Mike's full partner in managing this state. ... The bottom line is this will be much, much more than a ceremonial post. And I think the taxpayers deserve more, for $110,000 [per year in salary], than somebody that cuts ribbons and kisses babies.''
While Rell and Fedele have appeared at numerous news conferences together over the past three years, Rell has repeatedly refused to publicly endorse Fedele for governor. That has caused some consternation among Fedele supporters and questions among Republican voters.
"Certainly, that's her decision,'' Boughton said when asked about Rell's non-endorsement of Fedele. "But you know what? Frankly, I'm not a big believer in endorsements. ... It's the endorsement of the voters that is the most important thing. The rest of it is just window-dressing.''
When asked, after Boughton's comments, if he has been underutilized in the Rell administration, Fedele said, "Well, we all have our different styles. When I wasn't being used, I went out and did my own stuff, which is economic development and reaching out to veterans and things of that nature. As you know, constitutionally, this is a part-time job. I have not worked it as a part-time job. I have been a full-time lieutenant governor. ... There was more in me than I probably was utilized for. But again, that's a different style.''