Foster County, ND elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Foster County: 10 seats on 6 elected bodies. 5 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Foster County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Commissioner, District 1Patrick Copenhaver source
County Commissioner, District 2Alan Scanson sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 3David Utke source
County Commissioner, District 4Scott Beumer sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 5Becky Hagel source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County AuditorEllen Roundy source
County RecorderLynelle Lyman Hoppe sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County SheriffJustin Johnson sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
State's AttorneyKara Brinster sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County TreasurerDianne Hertel source

How many local governments Foster County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 29 local governments in Foster 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 (4 municipal, 18 township)220
School districts (school boards)10
Special districts (elected boards)50

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 Foster County

3,358people
43.4median ageU.S.: 38.9
$87,831 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
8.8%below the U.S.: 12.5%
28.5%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$167,500median home valueU.S.: $332,700
1%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
4.5%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
4.9%U.S.: 8.4%
51.5%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
9.3%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 1.7% · White 93.1% · Black 0.3% · Asian 1.8% · Other or more than one race 3.1% (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 Foster County

1.4%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 1.7%. North Dakota: 1.8%.
25people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
1,700people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
1,725in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Foster County 0.0%0.8%1.6%2.4%3.2% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)1.4%251,7001,725
August 20261.7%291,6861,715
July 20261.7%291,6711,700
June 20261.9%321,6971,729
May 20261.6%261,6411,667
April 20261.6%261,6181,644
March 20262.0%321,6091,641
February 20262.1%341,5751,609
January 20262.2%351,5721,607
December 20251.4%231,6241,647
November 20251.6%271,6161,643
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20251.7%281,6421,670
August 20251.9%311,6431,674
July 20251.9%311,6281,659
June 20252.1%351,6331,668
May 20252.1%341,6031,637
April 20252.0%331,5841,617
March 20252.7%431,5721,615
February 20252.5%391,5501,589
January 20252.3%371,5641,601
December 20241.9%311,6271,658
November 20241.8%301,6141,644
October 20241.6%261,6501,676
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)2.0%331,6051,638
20241.9%321,6381,670
20231.7%291,6351,664
20221.9%321,6401,672
20212.2%361,6271,663
20203.0%511,6541,705
20192.3%381,6441,682
20182.2%391,7301,769
20172.2%401,7661,806
20162.6%481,7781,826

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. North Dakota's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 2.2% 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 Foster County

30.0 per 100,0002024. North Dakota: 256.7.
210.2 per 100,0002024. North Dakota: 1,698.0.
0murders2024, 1 violent crimes in all.

2024 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.

Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
2024130.07210.2
2023259.014412.7
2022388.97207.5
202100.010318.3
2020131.624759.3
2019131.721665.2
201800.015467.6
2017131.1351,088.0
201600.014426.8
By police agency (2)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Carrington Police Department2024141,987
Foster County Sheriff's Office2024031,343

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 North Dakota · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.12 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 3,300 people.
7sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
0civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Carrington Police Department402,004
Foster County Sheriff's Office301,296
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
202572.1202
202472.1002
202361.7702
202272.0702
202182.5502
202072.2112
201961.9012
201882.4912
201772.1802
201682.4402

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 Foster County County Auditor?
Ellen Roundy is the County Auditor of Foster County, North Dakota.
Who is the Foster County County Recorder?
Lynelle Lyman Hoppe is the County Recorder of Foster County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Foster County County Sheriff?
Justin Johnson is the County Sheriff of Foster County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Foster County State's Attorney?
Kara Brinster is the State's Attorney of Foster County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Foster County County Treasurer?
Dianne Hertel is the County Treasurer of Foster County, North Dakota.
Who are the Foster County commissioners?
Patrick Copenhaver (District 1); Alan Scanson (District 2); David Utke (District 3); Scott Beumer (District 4); Becky Hagel (District 5).
What is the population of Foster County?
About 3,358 people, with a median age of 43.4; the median household income is $87,831 and 8.8% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Foster County?
1.4% in September 2026 (preliminary): 25 people unemployed in a labor force of 1,725, against 1.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Foster County?
29 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 4 municipal, 18 township, 1 school district and 5 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Secretary of State's official results of each seat's last general election (2022 or 2024); officials appointed since then may differ; 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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