Boughton's Doctors Clear Mayor for Run for Governor

Joined by his neurosurgeon and personal physician, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton says he is healthy and fit for running for office.

Less than two weeks ago, Boughton suffered a seizure during a GOP candidate forum in Avon. Immediately following the event, UConn Health and Boughton’s campaign released identical statements blaming the seizure on severe dehydration.

Today, the neurosurgeon from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, said the primary factor was actually the fact that Boughton had skipped, “a couple doses,” of his anti-seizure medication.

Dr. Robert Friedlander, who performed brain surgery on Boughton last summer to remove a tumor, said, “That’s the key issue. Everything else, he was dehydrated, he was stressed out, that adds to things to some extent, but the major major issue is the lack of taking the medicines because he hadn’t had a seizure and he thought he was fine, but that’s where we are.”

Friedlander and Boughton’s personal physician, Dr. Spyros Smith, were both in agreement that Boughton is at no greater risk for a seizure now, than before the event in Avon, so long as he takes medication.

Smith even said Boughton did well during his physical exam last Thursday.

“We ran some routine chemistries on electrolytes, kidney function, things like that, all of which were normal. His vital signs were stellar, there were no findings from our standpoint.”

Boughton is looking to find success in his most recent run for statewide office. He failed previously in runs for both governor and lieutenant governor, and hopes this time around is different. He’s considered a kind of establishment favorite, since he has such high name recognition among Republican Town Committees. Those town committees will ultimately decide on the party’s endorsed nominee at a convention in May.

Boughton says he’s ready for what could be a long, and grueling road toward the nomination and election day.

“It’s a very very stressful job and I want the people to know that I am up to handle that stress,” he said.

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