Pennington County, MN elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Pennington County: 8 seats on 4 elected bodies. 5 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County Board of Commissioners

Pennington County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Commissioner, District 1Seth Nelson source
County Commissioner, District 2Dave Sorenson source
County Commissioner, District 3Neil Peterson sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 4Roy Sourdif sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 5Bruce Lawrence source

Official website

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
Attorney (interim)Nathan Haase sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County RecorderJulie A. Hansen sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
SheriffSeth Vettleson sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Pennington County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 34 local governments in Pennington County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships (3 municipal, 21 township)240
School districts (school boards)20
Special districts (elected boards)70

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Pennington County

13,791people
39.6median ageU.S.: 38.9
$77,325 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
10.5%below the U.S.: 12.5%
21%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$195,500median home valueU.S.: $332,700
2.9%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
3.6%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
5.6%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
4.8%U.S.: 8.4%
35.5%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
21.5%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 4.9% · White 87.8% · Black 0.6% · Asian 1.5% · Other or more than one race 5.1% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Pennington County

4.3%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.3%. Minnesota: 4.4%.
305people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
6,807people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
7,112in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Pennington County 0.0%1.8%3.6%5.4%7.2% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.3%3056,8077,112
August 20265.3%3796,7647,143
July 20264.9%3476,7357,082
June 20265.1%3616,7297,090
May 20264.6%3286,8367,164
April 20265.3%3846,9097,293
March 20268.0%5896,7817,370
February 20269.5%7166,7957,511
January 20269.8%7356,7477,482
December 20256.9%5076,8787,385
November 20254.6%3367,0477,383
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.3%2467,2237,469
August 20253.9%2957,2017,496
July 20255.9%4447,0617,505
June 20256.9%5136,9637,476
May 20254.3%3217,1057,426
April 20255.3%4037,1797,582
March 20256.7%5117,1237,634
February 20256.7%5107,1277,637
January 20258.0%6167,0707,686
December 20247.1%5467,1357,681
November 20243.2%2427,3417,583
October 20242.6%2007,4027,602
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)5.7%4277,0897,516
20244.7%3607,3517,711
20233.6%2837,4907,773
20223.4%2677,5897,856
20214.4%3427,4767,818
20206.9%5467,4177,963
20195.1%4077,5607,967
20184.8%3807,6157,995
20176.2%4997,5468,045
20166.3%5247,7538,277

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Minnesota's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.5% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Pennington County

161.6 per 100,0002025. Minnesota: 223.5.
624.3 per 100,0002025. Minnesota: 1,411.5.
0murders2025, 22 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
202522161.685624.3
2024965.51541,120.2
202319137.41661,200.1
20221180.62381,744.4
20211179.11951,403.1
20201499.41671,185.7
2019856.41771,248.5
201818126.22751,927.9
201715104.63302,302.2
By police agency (2)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Thief River Falls Police Department202519738,764
Pennington County Sheriff's Office20241304,931

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Minnesota · the U.S.

Police staffing

1.98 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 13,616 people.
27sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
25civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Pennington County Sheriff's Office10234,852
Thief River Falls Police Department1728,764
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025271.98252
2024261.89262
2023261.88272
2022251.83292
2021271.94262
2020251.78272
2019271.90272
2018271.89252
2017251.74232
2016241.68242

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Pennington County Attorney (interim)?
Nathan Haase is the Attorney (interim) of Pennington County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Pennington County County Recorder?
Julie A. Hansen is the County Recorder of Pennington County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Pennington County Sheriff?
Seth Vettleson is the Sheriff of Pennington County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Pennington County commissioners?
Seth Nelson (District 1); Dave Sorenson (District 2); Neil Peterson (District 3); Roy Sourdif (District 4); Bruce Lawrence (District 5).
What is the population of Pennington County?
About 13,791 people, with a median age of 39.6; the median household income is $77,325 and 10.5% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Pennington County?
4.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 305 people unemployed in a labor force of 7,112, against 3.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Pennington County?
34 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal, 21 township, 2 school district and 7 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 21, 2025, from the Minnesota Legislative Manual (Blue Book) published by the Secretary of State; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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