Salem Voters To Narrow Mayor's Race To 2: Primary Day Tuesday

SALEM, MA — The race to become Salem's first newly elected mayor in 17 years will narrow from five candidates to two for the special election following Tuesday's primary.

Patch reached out to the five candidates on the primary ballot who are looking to complete the term that former Mayor Kim Driscoll won in 2021 before she launched her bid for lieutenant governor and asked what are the key factors they want voters to consider before casting their ballots on Tuesday.

(Also on Patch: What To Know With Salem's Mayoral Preliminary Election)

The top two vote-getters on Tuesday face each other to become Salem's newly elected mayor on May 16.

Candidates listed in alphabetical order:

Steve Dibble: "I have the energy, education, and experience to be a good mayor.

I want to remind you of the five commitments I have made to the people of Salem. None of my opponents have committed to any specific policy reforms in this special election so far. Many of these will require changes to our city charter, but I believe they are integral in order to help restore your trust and say in our local government.

I am the only candidate committing to give up my power after two terms and hold future mayors to this standard — term limits. After eight years, mayors often get stale, and gain too much power when new ideas are needed.

I am the only candidate willing to stand against disastrous housing policies such as Inclusionary Zoning while restoring your say on key developments, such as 1,400 luxury apartments at Shetland while we lose hundreds of good jobs and higher-paying business taxes.

I am the only candidate willing to ask for reforms to delegate my school committee powers. I will not stand by and allow another Bentley School to be passed off to the academy system, a Bowditch School to segregate and have to be closed down, or high school principal hires to take place with no oversight. It's time to remove the mayor from the (School) Committee. We need to support our teachers and staff always.

I am the only candidate committed to scrutinizing our internal processes with a full operational audit to identify where your hard-earned taxpayer dollars get wasted.

I am the only candidate discussing bringing back community and faith leader advisory councils to City Hall."

Neil Harrington: "As I listen to the concerns of residents and business owners throughout Salem, I believe that our message is resonating with voters. They are looking for an experienced leader with hands-on municipal executive experience to be Salem's next mayor.

I am focusing on providing leadership for the future in the post-Driscoll era, and I am building a multi-generational base of support that is seeking to unite the city and keep us moving forward in a positive direction."

(More on Patch: Salem Mayoral Debate 2023: Candidates Talk Schools, Housing, Halloween)

Stacia Kraft: "This election is about leadership. It is not merely about management.

Managers essentially seek compliance with rules to maintain the status quo. Leaders are visionaries who take risks, challenge the status quo, and motivate people. I have proven my leadership in the environment, education, historic preservation, and affordable housing; and I understand the issues from the perspective of neighborhood advocacy and engagement.

At this point in our history, Salem needs a leader who has the vision and determination to navigate the serious challenges we face."

Robert McCarthy: "Since being unanimously elected Acting Mayor at the beginning of the year, (I have) focused on a smooth transition while leading on deeper support for our students, seniors, roads, sidewalks, and tourism, and finalizing a balanced budget, as well.

The feedback received from the community by getting out and listening to all stakeholders has been overwhelmingly positive — in fact, folks specifically asked us to run after seeing our
collaborative approach firsthand.

We are confident that Salem voters will share their satisfaction with their ballot choice, so as to keep a leader who is approachable, accessible and accountable."

Dominick Pangallo: "Salem is at a pivotal moment and I strongly believe that we cannot turn backward or give up on the progress we've achieved here together.

Our city needs a mayor who is ready to get to work on day one, and I know I will be — because I’ve been doing the work, every day, full-time, for the last decade.

We also need a mayor who shares our vision of what Salem can be and the values that have made our community a beacon of prosperity and success.

Those successes came because of professional leadership based on responsiveness, innovation, and an optimistic approach to our future. They came because so many of us were present for the important work of this city. We were there when Salem needed us — not just when we needed Salem.

I'm proud to have earned the endorsement of 18 current and former City Councillors and School Committee members, of our former Mayor and current Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, and of organizations like the Salem Teachers Union, North Shore Labor Council, Environmental League of Massachusetts, and Progressive Massachusetts.

I'm running to build on the foundation we've created together here to fix what isn't working but to keep us moving forward toward a Salem that works for everyone."

(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.)