The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Election 2010

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  • Newly elected mayor Eric Anderson watches election results with supporters Tuesday in Mankato. Pat Christman

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  • Newly elected mayor Eric Anderson smiles as he reads a congratulatory text message Tuesday in Mankato. Pat Christman

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  • Mankato Mayor John Brady talks on the phone during a gathering Tuesday in Mankato. Brady lost his re-election bid. Pat Christman

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November 3, 2010

Anderson easily defeats Brady for Mankato mayor

Voter have final say after August arrest

By Dan Linehan Free Press Staff Writer

MANKATO — Everyone who didn’t condemn Mankato Mayor John Brady for his drunken-driving conviction said the same thing: The voters would decide Nov. 2.

They did, and challenger Eric Anderson easily defeated Brady, 7,072 votes to 3,873 as voters apparently responded either to Anderson’s financial expertise or Brady’s mistakes in August.

Anderson hoped it was the former: “Well, hopefully I just resonated with enough people.

“I really did work pretty hard at this,” he said.

Anderson spent about $1,966 on the campaign through Oct. 21, and Brady’s spending did not exceed $750 before that date. Anderson said his political newcomer status meant he needed to spend more money to get his name before voters.

While he promised more financial scrutiny for the city during his campaign, the 2011 budget is mostly finished and Anderson said he doesn’t “want to try to bite off too much initially.”

In September, the City Council voted 3 to 2 in asking Brady to resign because of his drunken-driving arrest during the summer.

“It was up to the voters to decide and the voters decided,” Brady said. “It didn’t turn out quite as I anticipated. It was a good contest, and I wish Eric Anderson all the success in the world.”

Anderson won by an almost 2-to-1 margin of 63 percent to 34 percent.

Write-in candidates received 342 votes or 3 percent. Most of those probably went to Chris Frederick, who waged a write-in campaign.

Brady, a chiropractor and nurse, had campaigned on his communication skills as mayor and asked the public to give him a chance to earn back their faith. He said his four years as mayor made the City Council a more civil place to do business.

Anderson, a financial planner, has said his experience could guide the city through difficult economic times.

On Aug. 21, Brady was arrested in Golden Valley with an open bottle of vodka and a blood-alcohol content of .24 percent. He didn’t pull over when police first tried to stop him on the highway and hit a vehicle before pulling over.

He had missed a flight earlier in the day to China to represent Mankato in a deal to train Chinese pilots at Minnesota State University.

The mayor himself, who was first elected to the council in 1996, had said he’ll attend rehab and make a better mayor as a result.

Anderson had decided early on that sitting back and reserving judgment would be the most prudent reaction to Brady’s charges. Anderson did the same on election night, declining to blame Brady’s troubles for his victory.

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Election 2010