Salem Acting Mayor Robert McCarthy To Run In Special Election

SALEM, MA — Ward 1 City Councilor Robert McCarthy, who was chosen to serve as Salem's acting mayor following the inauguration of Kim Driscoll as the state's new lieutenant governor, has launched a bid to serve out the final three years of the mayoral term through running in this spring's special election.

McCarthy told Patch he pulled nomination papers last week with his immediate family and has returned them. He said this week he is launching the campaign that he said will promise to "continue a smooth transition, engage directly with all the stakeholders personally in their places of work, and ensure a balanced budget that reflects support for roads, sidewalks, schools, seniors and small business support."

"To serve the people of Salem in the role of mayor is both humbling and inspiring," McCarthy said in an announcement provided to Patch. "The commitment to public service has always run strong in our family, so this is a thrill of a lifetime. Having the pleasure of serving as both a ward councilor and council president has only enhanced my appreciation of the awesome duties of the role of mayor, but we have so much more good work to do together."

"We made it a priority to get ourselves out of the office to connect with our staff, our partners, and our citizens alike to listen to your feedback directly. Simply put — we want to offer the very best to everyone in Salem and the reception to our administration has been overwhelmingly positive. We think Salem's next great chapter is ahead of us and we feel confident we can continue to lead our city."

McCarthy, who has represented Ward 1 on the City Council for 15 years, was chosen by the Council as the acting mayor on Jan. 4 to serve through the special election. A primary is scheduled for March 28 with a final special election date set for May 16.

McCarthy is one of six known candidates in the race — joining joins businessman and political newcomer Skip Bensley, former Salem City Councilor Steve Dibble, former Salem Mayor Neil Harrington, Salem community activist and former City Council candidate Stacia Kraft and former Chief of Staff Dominick Pangallo in the race.

He is a three-time Council president and is its longest-serving member. Raised in Beverly, the St. John's Prep of Danvers alumnus met his wife, Kathy, in Salem in 1994 and the two settled in the Witch City where they raised their two children in the Salem Willows neighborhood.

McCarthy said his campaign will focus on supporting more affordable housing in the city, developing deeper relationships and strengthening career and technical training within public schools, small business support, and modernizing the city's infrastructure with an eye toward the city's upcoming 400th anniversary celebration.

"This race isn't about any one person, it's about stepping up and offering Salem a name that they know, they trust, and they can always count on," McCarthy said. "I am honored to serve as acting mayor, and I'm hopeful to earn everyone's trust and support to keep our positive momentum going, too."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)