Salem City Councilor Vanessa Nordyke holds a commanding lead in the race for mayor of Oregon’s capital city. As of 5 a.m. Wednesday, May 20, Nordyke led incumbent Mayor Julie Hoy 56% to 44%, with 13,541 votes to Hoy’s 10,555, according to updated results from the Marion and Polk county clerks.
Salem’s mayoral race is decided outright if a candidate clears 50% plus one in the May primary. Nordyke is currently well above that threshold. Ballots will continue to be counted through next week, as Oregon law allows ballots postmarked by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted if they arrive within seven days.
Hoy’s campaign told reporters Tuesday night that “the night isn’t over” as it waited for additional returns. Hoy also framed the race in broader terms, saying, “Salem is worth standing up for.”
The Council
Four of nine council seats were on the ballot. Updated returns showed the progressive slate, backed by the Progressive Salem political action committee, leading in three races and the conservative slate, backed by the Marion + Polk First PAC, leading in one.
Ward 2: Council President Linda Nishioka leading challenger Manny Martinez by roughly 30 points.
Ward 4: Challenger Dave Inbody, an operations director at a coordinated care organization, leading incumbent Deanna Gwyn.
Ward 6: Challenger Betsy Vega, owner of Rose City Balloons and Latino Enterprises, leading incumbent Mai Vang by about six points.
Ward 8: Incumbent Micki Varney narrowly ahead of challenger Chris Cummings, with just 41 ballots separating them as of 9:45 p.m. Tuesday.
If those leads hold through certification, the working majority on the council would lean progressive on votes related to the budget, land use, public safety policy, and intergovernmental relationships with Marion County.
According to Oregon Secretary of State campaign finance data, conservative council candidates collectively raised roughly twice as much as progressive council candidates. Nordyke told supporters at the Willamette Heritage Center on Tuesday night that her team knocked on 21,000 doors across the city during the campaign.
What This Could Mean For Small Business
Hoy is the co-owner of Geppetto’s Italian Restaurant. She took office in 2025 with the backing of the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce, the Salem Police Employees Union, the Salem Professional Firefighters union, and a range of developers and real estate interests. Marion + Polk First, the PAC supporting the conservative slate, has historically drawn from realtors, home builders, and small business owners.
Three areas will indicate how the new council approaches the business community in its first months in office:
Permitting and land use. Nordyke campaigned on increasing housing supply, with a particular focus on affordable housing. Early signals will come through appointments to the Planning Commission, the Downtown Advisory Board, and other land use bodies.
Code enforcement. The progressive slate has discussed expanded enforcement on properties with deferred maintenance and unresolved nuisance complaints. How that policy is implemented, and against which property types, will shape its impact on the business community.
The Chamber relationship. The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce endorsed Hoy and the conservative slate. It is going to be vitally important to our city for the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce and the Mayor of Salem to have a good relationship if we are going to move our city in a positive direction. The Chamber represents the employers who fill Salem’s commercial space, sign its payroll checks, and contribute to the tax base that keeps the lights on at City Hall. The mayor’s office sets the tone for permitting, public safety, downtown vitality, and the policies that determine whether businesses choose to open, expand, or relocate here. A working partnership between the two does not require ideological agreement. It requires open lines of communication, predictable processes, and a shared commitment to a Salem that works for the people who live and work in it. Nordyke, responding to the Salem Area Chamber’s candidate questionnaire, wrote that “the business community needs a voice in local government,” adding that business owners bring “invaluable expertise and insights” on efficiency, cost-effectiveness, ROI, fiscal responsibility, and innovation.
Vega’s lead in Ward 6 would maintain at least one conservative-slate voice on the council. Vega is a small business owner.
What This Could Mean For The Local Economy
Salem’s underlying budget pressures predate this election. Personnel costs — health care, retirement, and insurance — continue to rise faster than property tax revenue, according to city budget documents. The five-year operating levy voters approved in 2025 provided additional revenue but did not change the underlying cost trajectory.
Nishioka, who is positioned to return as council president, has said publicly that the council needs a fuller accounting of efficiencies before deciding whether to pursue renewal of the current levy or a separate public safety levy. Either path would put a ballot question before Salem voters before the current levy expires.
Commercial property owners pay the same per-thousand levy rate as residential property owners. Any new levy would be reflected in property tax bills and, in many cases, in commercial lease pass-throughs. In her own Chamber questionnaire, Hoy framed economic development as a budget strategy, writing that “growing local businesses and family-wage jobs expands the tax base without raising tax rates.”
Two state-level developments could also affect Salem’s economic environment:
Statewide transportation funding. Oregonians appear to be rejecting Measure 120, which would have raised the state gas tax, payroll tax, and DMV fees to fund road and bridge maintenance, according to initial returns from the Oregon Secretary of State’s office. The outcome would leave more transportation cost responsibility with cities.
The governor’s race. Christine Drazan won the Republican gubernatorial primary, according to projections from NBC News and a concession from Chris Dudley. She will face Gov. Tina Kotek in the November general election. As the state capital and home to a large state workforce, Salem’s economy is directly tied to state budget decisions.
What This Could Mean For Everyday Families
Three policy areas the new council majority has highlighted on the campaign trail could affect families most directly.
Housing. Nordyke ran on increasing the housing supply and protecting renters. The campaign emphasized affordable housing, use of city-owned land, and expectations for developers. The implementation details — including any changes to the urban growth boundary, density rules, or inclusionary requirements — will determine the effect on renters, first-time buyers, and existing homeowners.
Behavioral health and homelessness. Nordyke has been a public supporter of the REACH program, a mobile crisis team co-funded by the city and Marion County that responds to behavioral health and substance use calls. Whether REACH moves from pilot to permanent, and how it is funded, will shape how the city responds to 911 calls involving mental health crises.
Public safety. Both slates discussed public safety throughout the campaign. The conservative slate emphasized police staffing and traditional enforcement. The progressive slate emphasized a combination of sworn officers, behavioral health response, code enforcement, and outreach. The actual public safety budget will be set during the city’s normal budget process and will be subject to existing union contracts.
In a recent vote, the current council voted 7-2 to authorize a $200,000 fund, in part to support families impacted by federal immigration enforcement, according to council meeting records. That vote took place before the May 19 election.
What To Watch Next
Final certified results. Marion and Polk counties will continue counting through next week. Primary results will be certified statewide on June 25.
Transition period. Hoy and any defeated incumbents remain in office until January 2027. Inaugurations for newly elected officials are scheduled for January.
Council appointments. The mayor appoints councilors and community members to boards and commissions. The first round of appointments under a new mayor typically signals policy direction.
The November ballot. Marion County’s two commission seats are on the November ballot, along with the gubernatorial general election and races for U.S. Senate and the Oregon Legislature. November turnout in a presidential cycle is typically higher and demographically different from the May primary electorate.