Ramsey County Commissioner Nicole Frethem will not seek re-election

Nicole Frethem announced in a Facebook post Wednesday she would not seek re-election to the Ramsey County Board as her term comes to a conclusion at the end of 2024.

"Many changes in my life, in the community and the world at large during these past few years made it challenging for me to commit to campaigning and serving another four-year term," she said in her post. In an interview, Frethem said she had concerns about juggling kids, the job and a campaign as the sole breadwinner in her family.

"I didn't want to be in a position where I was not representing District One the way they deserve to be represented, but also sacrificing my family time," she said.

Frethem represents the First District, which includes Arden Hills, Gem Lake, Mounds View, North Oaks, Shoreview, Vadnais Heights and White Bear Township, as well as parts of Spring Lake Park and Blaine.

Frethem said she will continue to serve through the end of her term.

She first took office after winning a special election to fill the seat of Blake Huffman, who resigned in 2019. She won 52% of the vote to former Republican state Rep. Randy Jessup's 47%. In 2020, she easily won re-election to a full term through the end of 2024. She previously worked in early childhood education and as a child-care policy specialist, according to her website.

She said some of her proudest accomplishments include helping to move conversations about development at Rice Creek Commons forward. "I feel really confident that we're moving towards getting a final development agreement in the next six to nine months," she said. She's also proud of work she and the board have done to reduce fines and fees in the criminal justice and library systems, address flooding at Snail Lake Regional Park, on early childhood education and child care and in other areas, she said.

Frethem's Facebook post calls serving her community on the County Board the greatest honor of her life. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I look forward to continued work and positive change together as I carry out my term in 2024," it says.

She said she has plans for many projects and initiatives over the next year.

Frethem is the second Ramsey County commissioner to announce plans to retire from the seven-member board after 2024. Seventh District Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt, who was first elected in 1996 and represents Maplewood, North St. Paul and White Bear Lake, announced she would not seek re-election over the summer.