This is important to know about candidates for mayor and city council

I’m a political junkie. I’m addicted to following politics closely. But many people here in Salem aren’t. They believe in voting, including in the May 19, 2026 election that likely will decide the races for mayor and four seats on the city council.

(While this is a primary election, a candidate that gets more than 50% of the vote in those races wins outright; such will probably happen, given that there are two candidates in each race.)

But those people don’t have an inclination to dig deep into the qualifications and policy positions of the candidates vying to be mayor and city councilors. So here’s the one thing that I consider most important to know about those candidates: the organization that is backing them.

I say this because the Progressive Salem PAC and the Marion+Polk First PAC make it their business to know a lot about the candidates they’re considering endorsing and funneling money to. Not just publicly available information, but also what private conversations with the candidates reveal.

As I noted last January in “Once again, city council and mayor candidates in May election are divided into progressive and conservative tribes,” the mayor and city council races neatly line up into five candidates supported by the Progressive Salem PAC and five candidates supported by the Marion+Polk First PAC.

Mayor:
Julie Hoy (incumbent). Marion+Polk First PAC
Vanessa Nordyke. Progressive Salem PAC

Ward 2:
Linda Nishioka (incumbent). Progressive Salem PAC
Manny Martinez. Marion+Polk First PAC

Ward 4:
Deanna Gwyn (incumbent). Marion+Polk First PAC
Dave Inbody. Progressive Salem PAC

Ward 6:
Mai Vang (incumbent). Progressive Salem PAC
Betsy Vega. Marion+Polk First PAC

Ward 8:
Micki Varney (incumbent). Progressive Salem PAC
Chris Cummings. Marion+Polk First PAC

So depending on whether a Salem voter resonates more with Progressive Salem or Marion+Polk First, this goes a long way toward indicating who they should cast their ballot for in the May election. To aid in that decision, I asked Claude, my new AI friend, two questions: “Describe the political leaning of the Marion+Polk First PAC,” and “Describe the political leaning of the Progressive Salem PAC ”

Here’s what Claude told me. The links point to Claude’s sources of information.

Marion+Polk First PAC is a center-right political organization. Here’s a summary:

The PAC describes itself explicitly as supporting “center-right candidates and causes,” and operates as part of a broader organization covering Marion and Polk Counties in Oregon. Marion+Polk First

In practice, it is described by local journalists as a conservative political action committee active in school board and city council races, backing candidates focused on academic rigor and bringing police back into local schools. Salem Reporter

The broader Marion+Polk First organization includes a 501(c)(3) educational arm, a 501(c)(4) advocacy arm, and the PAC itself — together functioning as a coalition of individuals, small businesses, and nonprofits. Its largest donors include Marion+Polk First Action, Commercial Properties Resources, Inc., Businesses for Community, Kerley Ranches, LLC, and Andrew Miller. Marion+Polk FirstMarion+Polk First

In short, it sits on the conservative side of local Oregon politics, though it frames itself as center-right rather than hard-right — focusing on local races like school boards and city councils in the Salem area rather than statewide partisan contests.

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Progressive Salem PAC is a left/progressive political organization — essentially the ideological counterpart to Marion+Polk First in the Salem area. Here’s a summary:

Progressive Salem describes its mission as electing progressive candidates who share a vision of equity, opportunity, and innovation for the Salem community, emphasizing bold ideas and transformative leadership. Progressivesalem

The organization was founded more than a decade ago and operates as a political action committee focused on electing progressive Democrats to local office in Salem, Oregon. Progressivesalem

In practice, the PAC is active in city council and school board races. In recent Salem City Council elections, Progressive Salem PAC has endorsed candidates prioritizing issues like economic development, environmental stewardship, affordable housing, and addressing homelessness — frequently backing candidates who run against those endorsed by Marion+Polk First. Salem Reporter

The group has received substantial financial support from labor unions and has worked in coalition with racial justice organizations, BIPOC youth groups, parent advocates, and educators. Progressive Salem

Progressive Salem has been effective enough that Salem Reporter noted a trend of Salem’s politics becoming more progressive in recent years, with the group’s candidates holding a majority on the Salem City Council for several consecutive terms. Salem Reporter

In short, Progressive Salem PAC sits firmly on the left side of local Oregon politics, functioning as the primary organized progressive electoral force in Marion and Polk Counties — and a direct rival to Marion+Polk First.