Brede backs challenger to Norton in 2022 mayoral race

Former Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede has put his support behind a challenger looking to unseat incumbent Mayor Kim Norton.

On Monday, Brede held a luncheon for about 50 people to announce his endorsement of Brad Trahan for mayor.

Trahan, a recruitment professional and local sports referee, twice worked on the former mayor’s election campaigns.

In a phone interview, Brede described Trahan as a hard worker who is “well known in the community and knows how to get things done.”

“I have been impressed with the effort that he is putting into this [race],” said Brede, who served as mayor from 2003 to 2019. “He has done a lot of homework, and seems to understand well city government, county government, and the general pulse of the people of Rochester.”

Trahan, he said, would also work to “carry on the tradition of nonpartisanship in the mayor’s office” — adding that he does not think Norton has done enough to bring other elected officials into the fold.

Brede said he has heard indirectly from a couple of council members that Norton “tends to want to control everything.” He did not identify which council members purportedly made the comments.

“I think different council members have a job to do and they should be able to do that without much interference there,” said Brede.

Norton, who won by a more than 2-1 margin in 2018, has said she plans to seek re-election for a second term in office. One other challenger, Britt Noser, has also announced his intentions to run for the position.

The filing period opens May 17 and runs until May 31. Assuming three or more candidates file for the position, a primary will be held on Aug. 9

Sean Baker is a Rochester journalist and the founder of Med City Beat.