Republicans Elect Stravato Vice Chair of State Central Committee in Rebuke to Boughton.

Danbury mayor Mark Boughton has spent months trying to manipulate state Republican affairs since November’s host of party defeats. The two-time gubernatorial hopeful could not, however, get his horse across the finish line first in this evening’s contest to fill a vacancy in the vice chairmanship of the state party committee.

Boughton took the floor at the Hartford meeting to nominate Old Lyme’s Margaret Jane Derisio to fill the vacancy. She lost 37-32.5 in the second round of voting to tea party-leaning Annalisa Stravato of Wilton.

State central committee members will elect their leaders to full terms in June.