Mayoral election in Salem, Oregon (2026)
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← 2024
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| 2026 Salem elections |
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| Election dates |
| Filing deadline: March 3, 2026 |
| Primary election: May 19, 2026 General election: November 3, 2026 |
| Election stats |
| Offices up: Mayor |
| Total seats up: 1 (click here for other city elections) |
| Other municipal elections |
| U.S. municipal elections, 2026 |
The city of Salem, Oregon, is holding a general election for mayor on November 3, 2026. A primary is scheduled for May 19, 2026. The filing deadline for this election was March 3, 2026.
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
As of 2026, Salem does not have term limits for the position of mayor. Mayors serve a two-year term.
Ballotpedia comprehensively covers the 100 largest cities in the United States by population. Our coverage also includes mayors, city councils, and district attorneys in the 32 state capitals that are not already part of our largest cities coverage. Please note that there may be more offices on the ballot in this capital city than what is listed on this page.
Elections
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Note: Ballotpedia will add the candidate list for this election once we have it.
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No candidate in this race has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.
Candidate profiles
There are currently no candidate profiles created for this race. Candidate profiles will appear here as they are created. Encourage the candidates in this race to complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey so that their profile will appear here.
Mayoral partisanship
Ballotpedia has not yet identified the partisan affiliation of Salem's mayor. As of March 2026, the mayors of 33 state capitals are affiliated with the Democratic Party, seven are Republicans, two are independents, and two are nonpartisan. The partisan affiliation of six state capital mayors is unknown. While most mayoral elections in state capital cities are nonpartisan, most officeholders are affiliated with a political party.
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Take our candidate survey
- See also: Survey
At Ballotpedia, we believe that everyone deserves meaningful, reliable, trustworthy information about their candidates. We also know that good information—especially at the local level—is hard to find. That's why Ballotpedia created Candidate Connection.
We ask all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Our survey helps voters better understand how their candidates think about the world and how they intend to govern—information they need to feel confident they're picking the best person for the role.
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Past elections
See also: Mayoral election in Salem, Oregon (2024)
General election
General election for Mayor of Salem
Julie Hoy (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Mayor of Salem on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Julie Hoy (Nonpartisan) | 90.8 | 45,472 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 9.2% | 4,619 | ||
| Total votes: 50,091 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary
Nonpartisan primary election for Mayor of Salem
Julie Hoy (Nonpartisan) defeated incumbent Chris Hoy (Nonpartisan) in the primary for Mayor of Salem on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Julie Hoy (Nonpartisan) | 54.9 | 18,170 |
 | Chris Hoy (Nonpartisan) | 44.5 | 14,711 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.6% | 193 | ||
| Total votes: 33,074 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
See also: Mayoral election in Salem, Oregon (2022)
General election
General election for Mayor of Salem
Incumbent Chris Hoy (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Mayor of Salem on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chris Hoy (Nonpartisan) | 95.5 | 38,062 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 4.5% | 1,798 | ||
| Total votes: 39,860 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary
Nonpartisan primary election for Mayor of Salem
Incumbent Chris Hoy (Nonpartisan) defeated Chane Griggs (Nonpartisan) in the primary for Mayor of Salem on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chris Hoy (Nonpartisan) | 55.2 | 19,178 |
| Chane Griggs (Nonpartisan) | 44.2 | 15,371 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.6% | 211 | ||
| Total votes: 34,760 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
General election
General election for Mayor of Salem
Incumbent Chuck Bennett (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Mayor of Salem on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Chuck Bennett (Nonpartisan) | 95.7 | 29,953 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 4.3% | 1,331 | ||
| Total votes: 31,284 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary
Nonpartisan primary election for Mayor of Salem
Incumbent Chuck Bennett (Nonpartisan) advanced from the primary for Mayor of Salem on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chuck Bennett (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 12,309 |
| Total votes: 12,309 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
About the city
- See also: Salem, Oregon
Salem is a city in Marion County, Oregon. As of 2020, its population was 175,535.
City government
- See also: Council-manager government
The city government of Salem utilizes a council-manager system. In this form of municipal government, an elected city council, which includes the mayor and serves as the city's primary legislative body, appoints a chief administrative officer called a city manager.[1]
Demographics
The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.
| Demographic Data for Salem, Oregon | ||
|---|---|---|
| Salem | Oregon | |
| Population | 175,535 | 4,237,256 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 48 | 95,995 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 78.9% | 82.6% |
| Black/African American | 1.3% | 1.9% |
| Asian | 3.2% | 4.5% |
| Native American | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Pacific Islander | 1.5% | 0.4% |
| Other (single race) | 6% | 3.4% |
| Multiple | 8.1% | 6.2% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 22.4% | 13.2% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 88.3% | 91.1% |
| College graduation rate | 29.6% | 34.4% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $58,726 | $65,667 |
| Persons below poverty level | 15.3% | 12.4% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2015-2020). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
| Salem, Oregon | Oregon | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
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External links
Footnotes
