Brad Nanke won't seek reelection in 2020 after nearly two decades on Salem City Council

Salem City Councilor Brad Nanke will not seek reelection in 2020, planning to cap a nearly two-decade run representing southeast Salem after his term concludes.

Nanke, in his fifth term on the council, has more than a year left to influence policy: His current term ends Dec. 31, 2020.

"Five is enough," he told the Statesman Journal on Thursday.

In an interview, he said he likes to tell his wife, Denise, the dishes have been building up in the sink for 19 years, and he needs to take care of them.

Nanke ran for Marion County commissioner in 2018 but lost to Republican Colm Willis. Earlier this year, he was considered to replace Denyc Boles in the state House of Representatives after Boles was appointed to the Senate, replacing the late Sen. Jackie Winters, a Salem Republican.

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Nanke is regarded as a more conservative voice on the council. His wife was one member of the conservative talk radio duo that hosted "The Gator & Denise Show," which used to broadcast locally on KYKN.

"It'd be nice to spend some time with the family,” Nanke said Thursday. He said he'd like to see his wife more often, and his son is getting married.

Still, he promised he "won't be disappearing."

He said he doesn't have any future political plans at the moment, but left the door open for future political involvement after he retires. Nanke works with the Oregon Home Builders Association and the Home Builders Association of Marion & Polk Counties.

Salem Mayor Chuck Bennett expressed disappointment over Nanke's decision, but said it was "understandable" and acknowledged how much time the councilor has put into the role.

"He's done a tremendous amount of service," Bennett said. 

Bennett will miss Nanke's voice on the council. "The institutional memory is extremely helpful," he said.

Meanwhile, the mayor faces a challenger in the May 2020 primary election in a political neophyte. Bennett said Thursday he is seeking reelection next year. 

Adam Lansky, 35, who describes himself as a filmmaker and audio engineer, filed documents to run for mayor, an unpaid position with voting power on the Salem City Council.

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Lansky's foray into the race marks the first fresh face in next year's council elections. Other seats up for grabs in the May 19 primary represent city wards 1, 3, 5 and 7. Councilors Cara Kaser, Nanke, Matt Ausec and Sally Cook currently hold the council seats, respectively.

Council hopefuls have a deadline of March 10, 2020, to file completed paperwork with the city recorder, including completed and certified candidate signature sheets.

If Lansky has any concrete policy proposals right now, he's keeping his lips sealed.

He does not have any prior governmental experience, according to his filing documents. He declined in an interview to comment on whether he had been to any City Council meetings. He pointed to housing and traffic as important issues but didn't lay out any specific policy plans to address them.

Lansky is involved in the arts, having studied audio engineering at the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences in Arizona. He said he has lived in Salem since 2016.

He said a mature arts scene is a benchmark of great cities, noting, as an example, that drawing more big-scale music performances from known artists would generate more money in Salem.

Lansky stressed the importance of running for office to remedy a sense of "learned political helplessness" among younger people.

"It's really important that my generation starts taking hold of our place in local government," Lansky said.

"Local advocacy groups, environmental awareness groups and people in our region who are dedicated to fostering peaceful relationships deserve seats at the table," he said.

Jonathan Bach has been the Statesman Journal's City Hall and business reporter since 2016. To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal. Contact him by email at jbach@statesmanjournal.com, call (503) 399-6714 or follow him on Twitter @jonathanmbach.