Last month, Democratic City Council Member At-Large Roberto Alves announced his candidacy for the office of mayor.

Alves is the first candidate from either party to announce that he will officially seek to fill the office. The city's current mayor is Republican Joe Cavo, the former president of the City Council, who took the seat vacated by Mayor Mark Boughton back in December, as dictated by the City Charter.

Alves is of Portuguese and Brazilian descent. He immigrated to the United States at five years old and is a product of Danbury Public Schools. He and his wife, Robyn Wicks Alves, have a son, Julius, in the second grade, and a daughter, Catalina, in kindergarten.

"Like many communities, Danbury is at a turning point. We face important challenges that will affect the future of our small businesses, our kids and families, our neighbors," said Roberto Alves. "We're in the midst of a crisis, with massive job loss, a looming housing crisis, small businesses closing, and our healthcare system once again on the verge of being overwhelmed. Too many Danbury families have suffered because leaders at all levels — from Washington down to the city level — have failed us. We need a leader who can take on our most critical challenges, and I'm ready to build Danbury back better, to be more equitable for all," concluded Alves.

Republican Mayor Joe Cavo told the News-Times that he is more focused on issues like the coronavirus pandemic than deciding whether to run. "I honestly have not given thought to that yet and probably won't for some time," he said.