NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart has officially been sworn in for a historic fifth term.
An inauguration ceremony was held Tuesday in front of city hall, a week after she defeated Democrat challenger Bobby Sanchez.
Stewart was first elected to office in 2013 at the age of 26 and is now the longest-serving Republican mayor in the city’s history. She was sworn in by her father, former Mayor Dan Stewart.
At Tuesday's ceremony, Stewart thanked the voters who made that achievement possible and reflected on the progress made during her tenure so far when it comes to issues like the pandemic and economy.
The mayor also highlighted the work that still needs to be done, including in the city’s public school system, which she said continues to underperform when compared to the rest of the state.
“The results from last Tuesday have given both our city government and the board of education a mandate to do everything in our respective power to turn around our schools and that means having some difficult conversations and accepting the reality that throwing more money at the problem simply isn’t enough," Stewart said.
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Other elected officials were also sworn in including the town clerk, tax collector, and members of the Board of Education and Common Council.
Angelo Bavaro is an anchor and reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at abavaro@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
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