Salem Mayoral Candidates Special Election Forum Set For Salem State

SALEM, MA — The candidates to be the mayor of Salem for the next three years will have their chance to compare and contrast their respective visions for the Witch City at a Salem State University forum later this month.

Organizers are inviting all candidates who qualify for the special election to take part in the forum on Feb. 28 at the Sophia Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts at 365 Lafayette Street.

Six candidates took out nomination papers and declared for the election to fill out the remainder of former Salem Mayor and current Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll's term that runs through the end of 2025.

Acting Mayor and Ward 1 City Councilor Robert McCarthy was the last to announce he was joining Salem professional 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.

Bensley told Patch on Wednesday that he was declared short of legible signatures on his nomination papers for the office, but that he intends to still run as a write-in candidate.

The preliminary election set for March 28 will narrow the field to two for the final special election scheduled for May 16. The official list of candidates to appear on the ballot will be released on Feb. 22.

The forum is organized by the Frederick E. Berry Institute of Politics at Salem State University, the League of Women Voters of Salem, The Salem Partnership, the Point Neighborhood Association, and the Historic Derby Street Neighborhood Association.

Karen Andreas, who is president and CEO of the North Shore Chamber of Commerce and former publisher of the North of Boston Media Group, will moderate the forum.

Seating is limited and registration is required. Members of the public are invited to register for the event and submit questions for consideration. Those interested in submitting questions can do so here or here by Feb. 20.

Those interested in attending can register to do so here. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Salem State has yet to release any information about a potential broadcast or live stream of the forum.)

(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.)