Longtime Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede has announced that he won't seek re-election when his fourth term in office expires at the end of this year.
Brede, 78, was elected mayor in 2002 after a 43-year career in hospital administration that ended at the Mayo Clinic. Brede said he could have waited until later this year to announce his plans but decided to "get it over with."
"It doesn't get any better than being the mayor of Rochester, Minnesota," he said.
A chatty and energetic presence around town, Brede said he attended an average of 1,350 events annually between city meetings, grand openings, welcoming speeches and various other functions.
"When I first ran, I wanted to be approachable and accessible," he said. "I think I've done that."
The Austin, Minn., native moved to Rochester as a young man for school and work and stayed after meeting his wife, a nurse. He gave up plans to become a Lutheran minister and began working for the local hospital.
Brede was a former campaign manager for Rochester Mayor Chuck Canfield when he decided to run for mayor himself. Canfield later said he was surprised not by Brede's decision to run for office — Brede had long told him he planned to do it — but by his fundraising abilities.
"We never were enemies," said Brede. Canfield died a year ago at age 84.
