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.
