DANBURY, Conn. (AP) -- Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton has announced he's a Republican candidate for governor.

The seven-term mayor said Wednesday he's seeking his party's nomination this year because he believes Connecticut residents are not "getting their fair share of the American dream." He says Danbury has recovered from the recession faster than the rest of Connecticut and its economy is the envy of the state.

Boughton says he understands what ordinary residents face each day. He called himself a "blue collar Republican."

He was the Republican Party's nominee for lieutenant governor in 2010.

A former state representative, Boughton won re-election as mayor in a landslide in November, capturing nearly 71 percent of the vote.

(Boughton flanked by his wife Phyllis and members of the City Council)

Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has not yet announced if he'll seek a second term.