MANKATO —  

 A contrite and apologetic John Brady broke his silence Tuesday, admitting he is an alcoholic but refusing to step down as mayor or give up his bid for reelection.

At a news conference held at attorney Calvin Johnson’s law firm in downtown Mankato, Brady told reporters and a few dozen onlookers that he was remorseful and embarrassed about his drunken driving arrest on Aug. 21, and that he’s battled alcoholism for years.

He said turmoil is his personal life drove him to drink heavily — he cites the death of his son, Tracy, and the tragedy that hit the Krueger family in rural Waseca; Hilary Krueger, who was severely injured when a gunman entered her home and murdered her husband and son, is Brady’s step-daughter.

Meanwhile, city council members say they’re preparing to ask for Brady’s resignation at the next regular council meeting.

“John’s a good guy and an effective mayor,” council member Mark Frost said. “But this is a breach of public trust that cannot be tolerated.”

At noon Tuesday, a host of media descended on the tiny law firm office, at the corner of Cherry and Broad streets. Amid the din of pickup mufflers and city buses rumbling by, the scene was a loud one.

Brady immediately sounded a tone of regret and apology. He admitted struggling with alcohol use for 18 years and that now, after the events Aug. 21, he plans to seek professional help.

“For those of you who know,” he said, “recovery is never over.”

He does not plan, however, to step down as mayor and says he’ll continue on in his run for reelection. He said he can still do his job as mayor as he works through his recovery process.

And while Brady got a round of applause after his remarks, not everyone seems to agree with the mayor’s opinion on that.

“I came here hoping he would step down,” said Vance Stuehrenberg, a council member who is currently running for a seat on the Blue Earth County Board. “I honestly think the mayor needs to recover, but I don’t think he should be doing it on city time.”

Before the press conference, Johnson had told reporters neither he nor Brady would be addressing the facts of the DWI case.

But there were plenty of questions about the rest of Brady’s day on the 21st.

One area that still seemed unclear after Brady answered questions involved the first accident he’d been involved in that day. It occurred near Jordan on Highway 169.

Brady said he was en route to the airport to catch his plane to China, which reportedly was set to take off at 8 a.m. But the crash in Jordan occurred at roughly 7 a.m., and he was still 30-40 minutes away from the airport. He said he believed he still had time to catch that flight.

Brady also said the Jordan crash may have been the triggering moment that started him drinking that day. He said the fact that he missed his flight meant that he’d be making the flight to China by himself. He described that notion as “daunting.”

Brady was asked whether he felt it was appropriate to even continue with the trip in light of his drunken driving arrest.

“My arrest didn’t change my commitment to this community,” Brady said. (Brady was part of a group working on a deal to train Chinese pilots in Mankato.)

When asked if he drank alcohol in China, Brady said that he did, but it was only during a ceremonial toast at a meal with Chinese dignitaries.

One thing that remains unclear is whether Brady will have enough credibility to be an effective leader.

Frost said that, if Brady wins, he’ll have no choice but to work with him. And if that’s the case, he’s hoping the relationship is as effective as it has been in the past.

“John Brady is a good guy, and he’s been an effective mayor. As a council we’ve gotten a lot done for this city,” Frost said. “But the fact of the matter is, when it comes to this drinking issue, it has hounded this city for as long as I can remember.”

Brady, in his press conference, addressed the issue of drinking in town, and the measures that have been taken to find a solution to high-risk drinking behavior. He said he’ll try to “use my recovery to help the community.”

His words, however, weren’t good enough for several members of the city council.

Stuehrenberg plans to author a resolution asking for the mayor’s resignation.

“It’s the only available thing we have and it’s absolutely non-binding,” Frost said.

Stuehrenberg said he never noticed anything unusual about Brady that would suggest he had a drinking problem, and he never heard any rumors along those lines during his time so for on the council.

But since Aug. 21, they’ve heard a few.

Frost said a Mankato doctor came forward after the drunken driving allegations surfaced and told him Brady nearly ran her over while she was out for a recent early morning run.

The woman told Frost Brady’s vehicle nearly struck her before driving up over a curb and onto a sidewalk. Frost said he believes the woman, although he declined to identify her. Also, the woman never reported the incident to authorities.

Council Member Jack Considine, too, said he was told the same story by the woman.

“I think there have been some credible people who have come forward to tell us that this is not an isolated incident.”

Council Member Mike Laven said he doesn’t think “third-hand rumors” should be spread by council members to attack Brady.

“If it was credible and serious, why didn’t she report it to police?” Laven asked.

“If there are serious concerns, (she) needs to come forward and identify herself and shine some light on it,” Laven said.

“I’m not going to be part of the whisper campaigns or vague allegations. In the 10 years I’ve been on the council, the whisper campaigns have been the most effective. People spreading all the rumors.”