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

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

Board of County Commissioners

Hettinger County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Commissioner, District 1Todd Lutz source
County Commissioner, District 2Devan Laufer sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 3Thomas Geerts source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Auditor/TreasurerJeri Schmidt sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Recorder/Clerk of District CourtRobin Ulrich sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County SheriffSarah D. Warner sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
State's AttorneyDavid M. Crane sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Hettinger County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 43 local governments in Hettinger 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, 30 township)330
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 Hettinger County

2,432people
42.9median ageU.S.: 38.9
$73,026 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
11%below the U.S.: 12.5%
22%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$117,300median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
0.9%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
10%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
5%U.S.: 8.4%
35.6%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
11.5%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 0% · White 94.2% · Black 0.2% · Asian 0.3% · Other or more than one race 5.4% (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 Hettinger County

1.7%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.0%. North Dakota: 1.8%.
23people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
1,305people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
1,328in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Hettinger County 0.0%1.1%2.3%3.4%4.5% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)1.7%231,3051,328
August 20262.1%271,2781,305
July 20262.0%251,2351,260
June 20262.5%331,2701,303
May 20262.0%261,2821,308
April 20262.2%281,2501,278
March 20262.7%351,2461,281
February 20263.1%401,2471,287
January 20262.8%351,2211,256
December 20252.1%281,2811,309
November 20252.0%271,2921,319
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20252.0%261,2841,310
August 20251.8%231,2801,303
July 20251.8%231,2451,268
June 20252.1%271,2291,256
May 20251.7%221,2381,260
April 20252.0%241,1901,214
March 20253.0%351,1461,181
February 20253.1%371,1401,177
January 20252.6%311,1411,172
December 20242.5%301,1881,218
November 20242.0%241,1931,217
October 20241.9%241,2471,271
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)2.2%281,2241,252
20242.4%291,1811,210
20231.9%231,1701,193
20222.0%241,2061,230
20213.0%371,2001,237
20204.3%531,1911,244
20192.0%251,2371,262
20182.0%261,2611,287
20172.2%291,3081,337
20163.2%451,3491,394

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 Hettinger County

82.3 per 100,0002024. North Dakota: 256.7.
287.9 per 100,0002024. North Dakota: 1,698.0.
0murders2024, 2 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
2024282.37287.9
2023141.89376.6
20224165.87290.2
20213123.45205.7
20204161.617686.9
2019140.223925.6
20186244.224976.8
20174154.319733.0
2016274.423855.3
By police agency (1)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Hettinger County Sheriff's Office2024272,431

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

2.50 per 1,000 residents2025, 1 agency serving 2,402 people.
6sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
1civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (1), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Hettinger County Sheriff's Office612,402
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
202562.5011
202462.4711
202362.5101
202272.9011
202172.8811
202072.8311
201962.4111
201841.6311
201751.9311
201641.4911

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 Hettinger County County Auditor/Treasurer?
Jeri Schmidt is the County Auditor/Treasurer of Hettinger County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Hettinger County County Recorder/Clerk of District Court?
Robin Ulrich is the County Recorder/Clerk of District Court of Hettinger County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Hettinger County County Sheriff?
Sarah D. Warner is the County Sheriff of Hettinger County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Hettinger County State's Attorney?
David M. Crane is the State's Attorney of Hettinger County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Hettinger County commissioners?
Todd Lutz (District 1); Devan Laufer (District 2); Thomas Geerts (District 3).
What is the population of Hettinger County?
About 2,432 people, with a median age of 42.9; the median household income is $73,026 and 11% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Hettinger County?
1.7% in September 2026 (preliminary): 23 people unemployed in a labor force of 1,328, against 2.0% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Hettinger County?
43 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal, 30 township, 2 school district and 7 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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