Wood Flooring Contractor Running For Mayor

Fortunes for incumbent politicians have been declining that past few years, and one person looking to capitalize on this trend is Chris Jones, owner of All Premier Flooring LLC (Shelton, Conn.). Jones, a Democrat, is running a campaign for mayor in Shelton, a town of about 40,000, and he's hoping to unseat 10-term incumbent Republican Mark Lauretti, according to the Valley Independent Sentinel. This is Jones' second time opposing Lauretti, who has been mayor of Shelton for the past 20 years, nearly half of Jones' 44-year life. "I understand it's hard to defeat a political machine such as this, that's been in power for 20 years," Jones told the Sentinel. "But being in office for 20 years a lot of negativity comes out of that as well." A federal ethics probe of Lauretti and a fight over the Shelton's next fire-chief are cornerstones of Jones' campaign. Jones is a lifetime resident of Shelton, and he started his wood flooring company there in 2004. He has also served on Shelton's Board of Aldermen, its Planning and Zoning Commission and the town's Americans With Disabilities board.