Salem City Council President Will Not Seek Re-Election

SALEM, MA — Salem Ward 2 City Councilor Christine Madore is leaving the Salem City Council just months after she was chosen as council president.

Madore, who took the gavel as president in January, said Tuesday morning she will not seek a third term on the council — saying it was never her intention to remain in politics for long and urging for more turnover on the council as a way to welcome new opinions and stir healthy debate.

She touted her work "keeping Salem affordable, prosperous and inclusive" in her 3 1/2 years of service thus far.

"I've fought hard to deliver on those issues through zoning changes, demanding more resources to make our streets safer, calling for investments in public transit, and denouncing prejudice when our community's values are attacked," she said in a statement. "I may not have won every fight, but I'm confident that I've made impacts that will pave the way for bigger changes down the road."

She said she enjoyed interacting with her constituents even though that became more difficult with two young children at home during the coronavirus health crisis.

"My hope for the next Ward 2 Councillor is that he or she will continue to facilitate constructive dialogue between citizens and developers," she said. "As I often said in my first campaign, Salem's growth is its biggest challenge and opportunity.

"In many of the neighborhood meetings I held over the years, my favorite question to everyone has always been: "What can we do to make this project better?" Collaboration, not obstructionism, will ultimately be the key to balancing interests and finding common ground in our shared community.

"Listening and appreciating each other's differences over the phone or in-person is so much more conducive to progress compared to debates over social media."

Madore said she remains excited to fill out her term as City Council president.

The deadline to pull nomination papers for Ward 2 City Council is July 23 and they are due July 27.

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(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.)