OPINION | The Waterbury Times | Oct 5, 2026
Waterbury- There was a time when the idea of Dawn Maiorano becoming mayor of Waterbury felt like something new.
In 2023, she came out of nowhere and captured the imagination of a city that had grown accustomed to one political reality.
Neil O’Leary was leaving City Hall after 12 years. His successor was not going to be handed the job. For the first time in years, Waterbury had an open mayoral race — and suddenly there was a woman from outside the traditional political establishment who appeared ready to make a run at it.
Maiorano did.
And she came remarkably close.
When the votes were counted, Democrat Paul Pernerewski defeated Maiorano by 571 votes. The final official count was 6,267 to 5,696.
Five hundred seventy-one votes.
That wasn’t a political curiosity.
That was a political warning.
Waterbury Republicans had found a candidate who could compete in a city where Democrats have historically held a tremendous advantage. Maiorano had energy. She had name recognition. She was willing to say things other politicians wouldn’t say. She presented herself as an outsider who wasn’t interested in playing by the old rules.
And, perhaps most importantly, people were paying attention.
Then something changed.
Maiorano’s political life moved beyond the campaign trail and into local media. She became a radio personality. She became increasingly visible on social media. She became one of the loudest political voices in the city.
The problem with becoming the loudest voice in the room is that eventually people stop hearing what you’re saying.
They start hearing how you’re saying it.
Political opposition is nothing new. Neither is criticism of elected officials. Candidates should be tough. Politicians should be challenged. Public officials should be held accountable.
But there is a difference between being a political firebrand and becoming defined by the fight itself.
And somewhere along the way, Maiorano’s political identity began to change.
The woman who once represented something new began to look increasingly like another fixture in Waterbury’s political ecosystem.
Her radio presence eventually ended amid what was publicly described as “creative differences.”
She continued broadcasting her political opinions through social media and, more recently, through a Facebook-streamed political program with Steve Pedbereznak. That platform has kept her politically relevant, but it has also kept her in the middle of controversy, including a 2026 defamation lawsuit brought by Republican congressional candidate Jonathan De Barros. That lawsuit was later dismissed, with the court finding the challenged political speech was protected absent a showing of actual malice.
And that brings us to 2027.
There is no official announcement that Dawn Maiorano is running for mayor again.
But the speculation is there.
Her name is being discussed. Her political activity has continued. She served as chairman of the Waterbury Republican Town Committee until stepping down earlier this year. And speculation about a 2027 mayoral campaign has been reported publicly.
So perhaps the question isn’t whether Dawn Maiorano can run again.
Of course she can.
The question is much more interesting:
Does Waterbury still want her?
That’s a very different question.
In 2023, Maiorano was the candidate of possibility.
She was the woman who could become Waterbury’s first female mayor.
She was the outsider.
She was the Republican who almost broke through in a city where Democrats had dominated municipal politics for generations.
She was new.
She was interesting.
She was angry enough to attract people who were tired of the status quo.
But four years is a long time in politics.
People change.
Cities change.
Political coalitions change.
And sometimes the candidate who once represented change becomes part of the political landscape she once promised to disrupt.
That may be the real challenge facing Maiorano if she decides to run in 2027.
It won’t simply be Paul Pernerewski versus Dawn Maiorano.
It won’t even necessarily be Democrat versus Republican.
It will be 2023 Dawn Maiorano versus 2027 Dawn Maiorano.
And Waterbury voters will get to decide which one they remember.
Did they see a woman who was willing to challenge the establishment?
Or did they see someone who eventually became consumed by political combat?
Did she give voters a vision for Waterbury?
Or did she simply give them someone to be angry at?
Did she build relationships across the city?
Or did she burn too many of them?
And perhaps the most important question of all:
What is the reason to vote for Dawn Maiorano in 2027 that didn’t exist in 2023?
Because “I’m not Paul Pernerewski” isn’t enough anymore.
Being angry isn’t enough.
Being outspoken isn’t enough.
Having a microphone isn’t enough.
Being the Republican candidate isn’t enough.
And being the woman who almost won four years ago isn’t enough.
If Maiorano wants another shot at City Hall, she has to convince Waterbury that she isn’t simply trying to finish what she started.
She has to convince voters that she has grown since 2023.
That she has learned.
That she can govern, not merely criticize.
That she can bring people together, not merely identify the people she believes are wrong.
That she can walk into a room full of people who disagree with her and still find a reason to work with them.
Because being mayor is different from being a political commentator.
The mayor doesn’t get to turn off the microphone when the argument is over.
The mayor has to pick up the phone.
The mayor has to sit across the table.
The mayor has to work with people she doesn’t like.
The mayor has to represent people who didn’t vote for her.
And the mayor has to understand that sometimes leadership means saying less and doing more.
That is the test facing Dawn Maiorano.
Not whether she can recreate 2023.
Whether she can convince Waterbury that she is something more than the candidate it remembers from 2023.
Four years ago, Dawn Maiorano came within 571 votes of becoming mayor.
That was close enough to make the city pay attention.
Now, if she runs again, she will have to answer a much harder question.
Not whether she can get 571 more votes.
Not whether she can become the Republican nominee.
Not whether she can dominate Facebook.
Not whether she can make people angry.
Does Waterbury still want Dawn Maiorano as mayor?
That is the question nobody can answer for her.
And ultimately, it is the only question that matters.
Leave a Reply