Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll Declares Bid For Re-Election

SALEM, MA — Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll touted the strength and resiliency the city exhibited showed throughout the coronavirus health crisis, and her desire to build off lessons learned and challenges met amid the adversity of the pandemic, as she announced Tuesday she is running for re-election for a fifth term.

"Our resilience and hard work have served as a model for the rest of Massachusetts," she said in the announcement released on her Facebook and Twitter pages. "We know that this pandemic has laid bare the deeper, system challenges we must and can take on together — racism, inequity, affordable housing and economic security for all.

"Together, we have accomplished so much. But we still have so much more to do."

Driscoll credited the leadership demonstrated in the city during the pandemic for making it a stronger place, including becoming a "more vibrant, more sustainable and more inclusive city for anyone who wants to live here."

A Salem State alumnus, she served as the deputy city manager in Chelsea before first being elected as Salem's mayor in 2005.

As mayor, she has made climate, social and economic justice and increased housing her focal points, saying in her announcement she hopes some of the innovations of the past year — such as outdoor dining and the Salem Skipper municipal ride-sharing system — will become staples post-pandemic.

"It's hard to believe that Salem’s first confirmed case of COVID-19 was just over one year ago," she said in a statement announcing her candidacy. "We couldn't imagine then just how much all our lives would change over the months to come.

"For some, the loss has been immeasurable, with empty spaces where loved ones used to be. We've worried about our elders, our kids, and our front-line workers, who were especially hard hit. We've seen our economy stumble and many need help to get back on their feet.

"But we’ve also seen incredible resilience. We pulled together, creating a path forward to help our neighbors. Often, our efforts have served as a model for the rest of Massachusetts, from undertaking weekly COVID testing in schools to innovative measures to support vulnerable residents and our hardworking small business owners."

Driscoll also serves as president of the Salem School Committee.

"It's been a challenging time, and now we need to redouble our efforts," she said. "There's too much work still to be done — in our schools, neighborhoods, parks and downtown. We can't let up now."

(Declarations of candidacy for the citywide election can be sent to Scott Souza at scott.souza@patch.com.)

Driscoll's full announcement can be viewed here: