After 32 years, Brenner won't seek board seat

Longtime Carlton County commissioner Dick Brenner announced Tuesday he will not seek another term on the county board.

Brenner is serving his 32nd year on the board, dating back to 1992. Prior to that he served on the Cloquet school board.

"I am not running," Brenner said during the board's monthly committee of the whole meeting. "I've been hounded about it. I am done at the end of December."

"I'm happy for you," board chair Susan Zmyslony said.

Brenner resides in Cloquet and serves District 1, representing west Cloquet, Scanlon and Sawyer.

He is the second commissioner this spring to say he won't seek reelection, joining Gary Peterson, of District 5, which spans the western half of Carlton County, including Cromwell, Wright, Kettle River and Moose Lake.

District 3 commissioner Tom Proulx announced in April that he will seek reelection. In office since 2009, Proulx represents most of Cloquet, including downtown and north along Minnesota Highway 33 to the county border.

Brenner has been challenged in each of his past three elections by former Cloquet police officer Erik Blesener. Brenner won by garnering more than 56 percent of the vote each time.

In 2022, Brenner was awarded the Outstanding Service Award by the Association of Minnesota Counties. The announcement of that award noted his advocacy for better corrections programming and both public and mental health services. The award also recognized Brenner for helping to strengthen the county's relationship with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

The candidate filing period starts May 21 and runs through June 4.