Driscoll Calls For Reconciliation After Divisive Salem Election

SALEM, MA -- When the votes were counted Tuesday night, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll had overwhelmingly defeated an opponent that many had seen as the first viable challenger she had faced in three reelection bids. And voters supported a ballot question to reaffirm Salem's status as a sanctuary city almost as convincingly as they had supported Driscoll in defeating former City Councilor Paul Prevey. But rather than focusing on the victory at hand, Driscoll used her victory speech to build a theme of reconciliation and healing.

"Salem today, even after an election season that saw arguments and disagreements, is united and ready. We are one city. And we are one Salem," Driscoll told about 150 supporters at a Tuesday night victory party at the Hawthorne Hotel. "I promise to be a Mayor for all of Salem and to work with all of you to build, collaborate and create solutions for a vibrant, inclusive, sustainable city."

But there were those 4,194 people who voted for Driscoll's opponent and those 2,332 Salem residents who didn't want the city to codify itself as a sanctuary city. As they so often do in the social media age, where everyone is a potential political pundit, voters who didn't see their chosen candidate win took to social media to vent and, through their collective comments, suggest that Salem still has some healing to do before it is truly the one Salem Driscoll spoke of.

One disgruntled voter proclaimed that voters had given Driscoll another four years to "turn Salem into San Francisco." Another, using language not fit for reprinting here, said Tuesday's election results had turned the city into a "haven for illegal immigrants." Others worried that the city will be punished by the Trump administration, which has threatened to withhold federal funding to sanctuary cities. In Salem, that threat could create a $11 million hole in its budget.

For his part, Prevey's own post-election message to supporters, posted on his campaign's Facebook page, didn't mention Driscoll by name and urged supporters to remain active in local politics.

"I am proud of the fact that we gave the residents of Salem a real choice for mayor this election," he wrote. "As we look ahead, I want to encourage all of you to remain active and involved in the City. Salem is a place we love and we should continue to show that love by being a part of our active citizenry."

Those comments came after Prevey stepped up his attack on Driscoll in the waning hours of the campaign. On Tuesday, he accused her of "divisive politics and divisive rhetoric." That followed a campaign that had been spent accusing Driscoll of allowing Salem to become overdeveloped, which had negatively impacted the quality of life for residents.

Driscoll, who became the city's first female mayor when she defeated incumbent Mayor Stanley Usovicz in 2005, is now on the verge of becoming its second-longest serving mayor. Among her biggest accomplishments are digging the city out of a $3.5 million deficit, but along with that came an expanded tax base and a housing cost increase as Salem very quickly emerged as an alternative for people who wanted to escape Boston without giving up all of the creature comforts of city living.

Her next accomplishment, then, may very well have to be finding a way to truly create one Salem.

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Photo by Driscoll For Mayor Campaign.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).