Meet Salem City Councilor At-Large Candidate Kyle Davis

SALEM, MA — A longtime service industry worker and Salem renter is looking to bring a new and more inclusionary perspective to the Salem City Council if elected on Nov. 7.

Kyle Davis, who previously ran to unseat State Sen. Joan Lovely last year, is running for an At-Large seat on the Council.

He is one of two challengers running against four incumbents for the four At-Large seats.

Patch sent a series of questions to candidates in contested races in this fall's election with these responses:

Campaign website/social media page:

www.kyleforsalem.com

IG, FB, Twitter: @kyleforsalem

Share some details about yourself, your ties to the city, your career in public office and/or professional life.

I'm a longtime waiter on the North Shore, mostly at restaurants in Salem and Peabody and a renter on Canal Street. I volunteer at AgeSpan and have been a community organizer both at the state and local level for a range of political and social issues.

Why are you seeking this elected office?

I felt compelled to run because I believe that we need more types of people, perspectives and lived experiences at every level of government including local. I would be the only renter on the Council if elected. I'm a gay man who grew up in an amazing blended and ethnically diverse family with two moms. As a waiter, I've experienced wage theft and understand personally the struggle for worker's rights. I'm a survivor of domestic abuse. I've always channeled the challenges that I've faced outward into helping people through my activism, advocacy and volunteer work. I would be honored to have the opportunity to continue that within the City Council and bring my lived experiences to the important conversations that we have in that body and fight to create a more equal and thriving Salem for everyone, particularly our most marginalized communities.

What are the key issues facing Salem and how would address them, if elected?

I'd say that my top priority is affordable housing. We can get there through a comprehensive list of policies that allow for and mandate affordable development and by protecting our current affordable units and renters. I'd be honored to be another vote on the Council in favor of the inclusionary zoning ordinance, the condo conversion ordinance as well as to push for some of my own ideas such as a right to counsel for tenants and a reasonable rent stabilization policy.

As an environmental justice community, it is vital that we work with all of our dedicated organizations, departments and advocates that are working to protect our communities from rising sea levels and extreme weather events and we need to be bold in our work to decarbonize our buildings, infrastructure and create new green public transportation initiatives.

Finally, while I was excited to see the wage theft ordinance pass, I understand that we have a lot more work to do when it comes to worker's rights and I would be excited to bring my lived experience to that work.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this office?

I believe that I have a more expansive view of our role as councilors relative to the incumbents. I'd like to be a force on the council that pushes us to lean into our transformative potential. Too often I've heard councilors say in meetings that some of our biggest challenges are more of a state issue or national issue when in truth we could change the lives of many cost-burdened and unhoused people in Salem with commonsense policies that the council has unfortunately voted down in the past.

We can't solve the climate crisis in Salem but we can be a leader in our transition to renewable energy and becoming a less car-dependent city. There is a lot more that we could and should be doing. I also feel that my lived experience and personal connection to many of the issues that are often discussed within city hall sets me apart and gives me a unique perspective, making me a particularly strong voice for working-class people and marginalized communities.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Inequity is another broad issue that I feel we have a responsibility to address. We have the Point Neighborhood which the city really hasn't done enough to engage with and which has a lot of housing insecurity, food insecurity and low voter turnout. All of which is indicative of the work that is left to do.

I am deeply concerned about income inequality in general and those who cannot afford what I consider basic human rights such as food, water, housing and healthcare. A society is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable and we have more work to do to make sure that those basic needs are being met and that vulnerable communities know that this City Council is an ally and an advocate for them.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I love Salem and I moved to Salem because of its inclusion and diversity. This is a place where we stand with the LGBTQ+ community, with immigrants regardless of their documentation status, we believe in racial justice, we have no tolerance for antisemitism, sexism or any other form of bigotry.

We are pretty amazing and through not being afraid to face our biggest challenges with moral courage and compassion, we can continue to be amazing.