Salemites Decisively Reject Reviving SRC in Council Elections

In the Council races this year attempts to revive a Zombie Salem River Crossing were important, but still probably secondary to other issues, particularly the Pandemic, the economy, and homelessness.

But even with the issue in a strong fourth position, voters trounced the slate of candidates supporting a zombie bridge.

Voters trounced the pro-bridge slate of candidates
(SJ piece on Elections spending,
Voters Pamphlet statements on SRC)

You might have a different reading on the details, and maybe the emphasis here isn't quite right.

But on the whole, voters in Salem were not persuaded to support a revival of the SRC process or to devote great resources to auto capacity expansion.

The results instead suggest the City should move more assertively on Climate Action, and on better walking, biking, and busing.

Early results appear to give candidates in three of the four races commanding leads, Virginia Stapleton in Ward 1, Trevor Phillips in Ward 3, and incumbent Vanessa Nordyke in Ward 7. Ward 5 remains close. I suspect Jose Gonzales will prevail, but this is far from certain. Most notably, in Ward 3 Phillips defeated long-time incumbent Brad Nanke, who had voted for many years on Council with a distinctly libertarian-conservative philosophy.