Prairie County, MT elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Prairie County: 7 seats on 5 elected bodies. 4 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Prairie County Board of Commissioners

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Commissioner, District 1Christine W Keltner Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 2Dennis Teske Republican source
County Commissioner, District 3Todd Devlin Republican source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County AttorneyDaniel Z. Rice Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Clerk of District Court/Clerk and RecorderShari L Robertson Republican source
Sheriff/AssessorKeifer Lewis Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Treasurer/Superintendent of SchoolsGarrett Lapp Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Prairie County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 11 local governments in Prairie 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 townships10
School districts (school boards)10
Special districts (elected boards)80

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 Prairie County

1,250people
57.8median ageU.S.: 38.9
$51,250 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
20.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%
26.9%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$165,700median home valueU.S.: $332,700
0.9%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
4%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
8.8%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
4.7%U.S.: 8.4%
36.6%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
27.9%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 0.6% · White 88.1% · Black 0% · Asian 2.7% · Other or more than one race 8.6% (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 Prairie County

2.1%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 1.8%. Montana: 2.5%.
12people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
549people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
561in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Prairie County 0.0%1.6%3.2%4.7%6.3% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)2.1%12549561
August 20262.3%13554567
July 20261.4%8562570
June 20262.0%11535546
May 20261.6%10627637
April 20261.2%8643651
March 20262.3%15638653
February 20262.5%16632648
January 20262.2%16718734
December 20252.5%18708726
November 20252.0%14697711
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20251.8%13692705
August 20251.6%12759771
July 20251.6%12762774
June 20251.7%13742755
May 20251.6%12732744
April 20251.5%11740751
March 20251.8%14768782
February 20252.5%19736755
January 20251.8%14757771
December 20241.8%14744758
November 20241.2%9751760
October 20241.7%13744757
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)1.9%14736750
20241.8%14754768
20232.1%16744760
20222.8%16556572
20213.3%19549568
20206.0%33521554
20193.4%19542561
20183.2%18550568
20173.3%19554573
20162.9%18599617

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. Montana's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.1% 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 Prairie County

179.9 per 100,0002025. Montana: 419.1.
359.7 per 100,0002025. Montana: 1,448.5.
0murders2025, 2 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
20252179.94359.7
20232180.8190.4
20223271.2190.4
20217654.8193.5
2020111,030.02187.3
2019111,025.2193.2
2018171,542.63272.2
20174338.74338.7
20163259.5121,038.1
By police agency (1)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Prairie County Sheriff's Office2025241,112

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 Montana · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.70 per 1,000 residents2025, 1 agency serving 1,112 people.
3sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
1civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (1), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Prairie County Sheriff's Office311,112
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
202532.7011
202432.7111
202332.7111
202232.7111
202143.7411
202043.7511
201932.8011
201832.7211
201732.5411
201632.6011

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 Prairie County County Attorney?
Daniel Z. Rice (Republican) is the County Attorney of Prairie County, Montana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Prairie County Clerk of District Court/Clerk and Recorder?
Shari L Robertson (Republican) is the Clerk of District Court/Clerk and Recorder of Prairie County, Montana.
Who is the Prairie County Sheriff/Assessor?
Keifer Lewis (Republican) is the Sheriff/Assessor of Prairie County, Montana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Prairie County Treasurer/Superintendent of Schools?
Garrett Lapp (Republican) is the Treasurer/Superintendent of Schools of Prairie County, Montana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Prairie County commissioners?
Christine W Keltner (District 1); Dennis Teske (District 2); Todd Devlin (District 3).
What is the population of Prairie County?
About 1,250 people, with a median age of 57.8; the median household income is $51,250 and 20.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Prairie County?
2.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 12 people unemployed in a labor force of 561, against 1.8% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Prairie County?
11 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 1 municipal, 1 school district and 8 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 7, 2026, from each county's own website (its elected-officials or department pages, read November 7, 2026), or a county's certified canvass; offices no county page names are left out; 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.

Prairie County's 2026 ballot and results · Every Montana county · Montana's members of Congress

See your members of Congress and every race and measure on your ballot in Prairie County, from your address. Your address stays in your browser.Look up my races

See something wrong on this page? Report a problem · Corrections