Dave Brede files to run for southeast Topeka's District 4 seat on the Topeka City Council
Longtime law enforcement officer Dave Brede recently became the second candidate to file to run for the Topeka City Council seat being vacated by Councilman Tony Emerson representing southeast Topeka's District 4.
Brede, 57, served in the military before moving in early 1996 to Topeka. He worked for the Shawnee County Department of Corrections, then became a deputy with the Shawnee County Sheriff's Office, where he served as a detective before being promoted to the rank of sergeant.
Brede took a position in 2008 with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, where he retired in January 2018 as senior special agent. He now works as a special investigator for the State of Kansas.
Brede said the city needs to encourage responsible development "through vetting and oversight to make sure businesses are not only good for Topeka and the citizens but also can fulfill their obligations and commitments."
"Many of us recall the (Kent) Lindemuth fiasco when he was allowed to purchase numerous buildings and made no improvements on any of them," he said. "That practice needs to end."
Brede said he supports the city of Topeka's having created a job for a police auditor, whose title is now "internal investigator," but opposes the suggested adoption of “8 can’t wait” policies aimed at curtailing police violence, mainly because "practically all of the provisions within are already addressed in Topeka Police policy and procedure."
Brede said, "I felt that proposal was bringing unnecessary attention to problems not existing in Topeka."
Filing deadline is June 1
Also running for the District 4 seat is Dave Banks, 68, who spent more than 28 years with the Topeka Fire Department before retiring as the district chief in charge of public education.
Brede and Banks are among eight candidates to have filed as of Tuesday morning to run for the four Topeka City Council seats that are up for a vote this year, with the filing deadline being at noon June 1.
A total of nine candidates sought those four seats the last time they were up for a vote, in 2019.
An Aug. 2 primary election will be held to narrow the field of candidates to two in any district in which at least four people have filed to run. When three people or fewer file, all will be on the ballot for the Nov. 8 general election.
No primary election was held in 2019.
This year's other candidates are as follows:
• Incumbent Christina Valdivia-Alcala, 60, who is running — so far without opposition — for re-election to the seat she has held since January 2020 representing District 2, which includes North Topeka and northeast Topeka's Oakland community.
• Three candidates who are seeking the District 6 seat being vacated by incumbent Hannah Naeger in west-central Topeka. Those are Bob Beers, 72; Marcus D.L. Miller, 39; and Zachary Surritt, 25.
• Incumbent Sherman Duncan, 47, and challenger Chris Phelps, 52, who are running for the District 8 seat Duncan holds in southwest Topeka.
Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Ex-KBI agent Dave Brede runs for Topeka City Council District 4 seat
