University of New Haven alumnus Dorinda Borer won the mayoral election in West Haven on Nov. 7. She received 6,001 votes to beat Barry Lee Cohen, who received 3,671 votes. All 10 districts in West Haven voted for Borer, as Democrats swept municipal elections, only losing the 10th district City Council race.
After the votes were counted, Borer spoke at the town Democratic headquarters and said, “We are heading for a brighter future… we’ve got a message for the rest of Connecticut: We are back.”
Throughout the day, Borer visited polling places in West Haven and said, “There was a lot of hope and a lot of energy in the air when I was standing at the polls. I think we’re all just excited.”
Borer refers to the Covid-19 relief fund scandal when former Rep. Michael DiMassa stole $1.2 million in federal funds given to West Haven for pandemic relief. After DiMassa was arrested, CT Gov. Ned Lamont placed West Haven under the highest level of state financial oversight from the Municipal Accountability Review Board (MARB). This is to ensure that city leaders, especially West Haven’s mayor at the time Nancy Rossi, managed and oversaw the city’s spending effectively.
Borer said on her campaign website, “We need to partner with them [MARB], take their input, build trust and confidence and create an exit plan for West Haven to manage the City’s finances independently.” She will ensure that positions in the finance department are filled with qualified people to instill proper financial controls.
“Number one is we have to rebuild trust,” Borer said. She said her priorities as mayor are to focus on economic development, “rebranding” the city and attracting private and public partners to invest in the city.
Other priorities on Borer’s agenda when in office include improving the environment through creating a coalition of Environmental Volunteer organizations throughout West Haven and creating a beach nourishment replacement program.
Public safety is another priority listed on Borer’s campaign website, as she plans to start a first-time home buyer program for police officers so they stay in West Haven. Another future initiative is to complete the Security Camera Boardwalk project and directly communicate with the police about other areas that need more police presence.
Cohen arrived at the Democratic headquarters to concede and said though he did not win the election, “I still believe that this is a referendum on change. And the change that West Haven has decided is not my change, it’s Dorinda’s change. Which I hope will be our change, and West Haven’s change.”
Cohen lost the 2021 mayoral election against Mayor Nancy Rossi by 32 votes and this year won the town Republican committee nomination for mayor. After his defeat in this year’s election, he said he would step away from politics.
“I’ll always love this town,” Cohen said. “I believe I have much more to give. But for right now I’ll be taking some time off myself. It’s been a very, very long journey.”
Borer will be inaugurated next month and said she will be taking everything “one day at a time” and that “residents can expect to see some immediate changes.”