Former Boughton lieutenant starts political consulting shop

John Kleinhans listens to Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton during an interview with Boughton and his campaign team at his campaign office in Danbury, Conn, on Monday, March 31, 2014.

John Kleinhans listens to Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton during an interview with Boughton and his campaign team at his campaign office in Danbury, Conn, on Monday, March 31, 2014.

The former No. 2 man at the state GOP is now hanging his shingle at his own political consulting shop.

John Kleinhans, who was the party’s executive director for the first half of this year, recently co-founded Octagon Strategy Group in the crowded arena of political strategy and communications. The firm, which will offer a menu of services such as campaign management,community organizing, coalition
development, issue advocacy and voter registration, will have a footprint in Hartford, New York and Boston.

Kleinhans, 25, who comes from a political family in Vernon, was a adviser to Mark Boughton during the Danbury mayor’s unsuccessful run for governor in 2014.

His business partner, Andy Arens, was previously the New England deputy political director for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

Neil Vigdor