SALEM — The Witch City won’t know until Nov. 9 if it needs a new mayor. But one person is already staging a run to replace Kim Driscoll if she becomes lieutenant governor: her chief of staff.
Dominick Pangallo, a Buffum Street resident, has emerged as an early choice in an as-yet-unscheduled special election that would be needed to elect a new mayor if Driscoll wins in November’s state-wide election.
Pangallo joined Driscoll’s office in March of 2013, giving him close to 10 years working in the city’s corner office.
“With Mayor Driscoll’s resounding victory in her primary for lieutenant governor, many in Salem have begun to look toward the potential for a special election here if she and Maura Healey are successful in November,” Pangallo said in a statement. “I’m excited to share that — with the encouragement of family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and supporters — I am preparing to run for mayor if there is a special election next year.”
Driscoll was elected in 2021 to her fifth four-year term as mayor, in a race against then-City Councilor Steve Dibble. The race muddied city politics and went on to play a role in most of the other races playing out at the time, with accused alignments between candidates, political sign-based harassment, misinformation accusations, and more touching nearly every race. All but one candidate perceived as being aligned with Dibble lost once ballots were cast, as Driscoll took 59% of votes with a 34% turnout.
By the city’s charter, should the mayor’s office be vacated more than a year before the next election, a special election must be held to elect a new leader. The next election for mayor, barring a vacancy before then, will be held in the fall of 2025.
Pangallo’s possible run for office creates unusual challenges for him, noted in a fundraising email sent out by supporters of his this week.
“As a public employee, Dominick can’t ask for donations to help start his campaign strong. But we can — and we are,” the email read. “Salem hasn’t had an open mayoral contest in 50 years. Dominick will need the resources to be competitive in what is certain to be a tough race.”
Contact Dustin Luca at 978-338-2523 or DLuca@salemnews.com. Follow him at facebook.com/dustinluca or on Twitter @DustinLucaSN.
