Brad Tabke had decided, with his wife, to seek only two terms as ­Shakopee mayor. But as the clock started to run out, he found himself reconsidering.

"My wife actually tried to talk me into running again," he said. "But I think it's a good time for me to bow out."

In doing so, he's left the mayoral seat open for what's shaping up to be a contested race. Filing for the position opened Tuesday, and three people had filed as of Thursday. More candidates could emerge before the Aug. 11 deadline.

Tabke has already endorsed Kathi Mocol, who's spent two years on the City Council.

"She would do a great job for our community, and continue growing and developing the community the way that I feel is best for Shakopee," Tabke said.

Running against Mocol (so far) are Daniel L. Hennen, a Marine Corps veteran who works in commercial lending, and Chuck Berg, a local business owner, Navy veteran and former school board member.

A lot has changed in Shakopee since Tabke first took office in 2012. There's been a lot of business growth, including the arrivals of Shutterfly and Amazon. Plans for a long-awaited community center and new City Hall are taking shape.

If Mocol isn't elected, some of that change may not hold. It's something Tabke said he thinks about, although he also thinks the city's core is different from what it was four years ago.

"I hope to not have the message turned directly around," he said, "but I think that our community has changed and thinks differently about itself right now than it has in the past."

Meanwhile in Savage, Mayor Janet Williams is seeking a third term. She took a City Council seat in 2004 and became mayor in 2008. On Thursday, she was the only candidate to have filed.

Both Shakopee and Savage also have City Council spots open. On Thursday morning there were three filings in Shakopee, including incumbent Jay Whiting. In Savage, incumbent Christine Kelly has announced that she's seeking re-election and one newcomer, Chris Raiter, has entered the race.

The general election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3.