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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Rolette 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

Rolette County Board of Commissioners

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerCraig J Poitra sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerKent Abrahamson sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerAllen George Schlenvogt source
County CommissionerHenry Louis LaRocque source
County CommissionerRoss Evans Zaste source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County AuditorValerie McCloud source
County RecorderSarah M Bruce sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County SheriffNathan Gustafson sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
State's AttorneyBrian D Grosinger sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County TreasurerKandace Page-Desjarlais source

How many local governments Rolette County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 28 local governments in Rolette 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 (5 municipal, 3 township)80
School districts (school boards)50
Special districts (elected boards)140

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 Rolette County

11,924people
32.5median ageU.S.: 38.9
$59,517 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
24.3%below the U.S.: 12.5%
18%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$103,800median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
0.6%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
4.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
22.1%U.S.: 8.4%
30.8%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
10.4%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 1.3% · White 18.2% · Black 0.1% · Asian 0.5% · Other or more than one race 79.9% (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 Rolette County

2.9%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.3%. North Dakota: 1.8%.
152people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
5,070people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
5,222in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Rolette County 0.0%3.3%6.6%9.8%13.1% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)2.9%1525,0705,222
August 20266.5%3374,8545,191
July 20267.1%3624,7375,099
June 20267.7%4235,0745,497
May 20263.4%1785,1235,301
April 20264.5%2415,0645,305
March 20265.5%2935,0335,326
February 20266.1%3255,0265,351
January 20266.0%3194,9695,288
December 20254.4%2324,9925,224
November 20253.5%1825,0045,186
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.3%1755,0625,237
August 20257.2%3804,8935,273
July 20258.3%4264,7105,136
June 20258.7%4845,0685,552
May 20253.7%1945,0655,259
April 20254.7%2434,9715,214
March 20255.4%2834,9175,200
February 20255.8%3014,8615,162
January 20255.9%3014,8235,124
December 20244.2%2094,7284,937
November 20243.6%1784,7924,970
October 20243.0%1534,9195,072
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)5.6%2914,9425,233
20245.7%2894,8215,110
20235.5%2744,7174,991
20226.2%3094,6384,947
20218.3%4104,5294,939
202012.5%6234,3554,978
20197.0%3414,5404,881
20188.1%4054,5674,972
20179.7%4954,6165,111
201610.0%5274,7425,269

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 Rolette County

72.7 per 100,0002022.
363.6 per 100,0002022.
0murders2022, 9 violent crimes in all.

2022 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
2022972.745363.6
2021748.339269.0
2020746.278514.6
2019426.266432.6
20181064.167429.7
2017851.393596.8
2016851.383531.9
By police agency (3)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Rolette County Sheriff's Office20247139,532
Rolla Police Department20242181,148
Dunseith Police Department2024110603

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

1.58 per 1,000 residents2022, 4 agencies serving 12,059 people.
19sworn officers2022, full-time, as of October 31.
13civilian staff2022, full-time.

2022 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (4), 2022
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Rolette County Sheriff's Office9139,784
Dunseith Police Department40624
Rolla Police Department401,173
ROLETTE20478
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2022191.58134
2021171.20164
2020130.93183
2019130.92143
201790.62102
2016140.9792

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 Rolette County County Auditor?
Valerie McCloud is the County Auditor of Rolette County, North Dakota.
Who is the Rolette County County Recorder?
Sarah M Bruce is the County Recorder of Rolette County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Rolette County County Sheriff?
Nathan Gustafson is the County Sheriff of Rolette County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Rolette County State's Attorney?
Brian D Grosinger is the State's Attorney of Rolette County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Rolette County County Treasurer?
Kandace Page-Desjarlais is the County Treasurer of Rolette County, North Dakota.
Who are the Rolette County commissioners?
Craig J Poitra (County Commissioner); Kent Abrahamson (County Commissioner); Allen George Schlenvogt (County Commissioner); Henry Louis LaRocque (County Commissioner); Ross Evans Zaste (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Rolette County?
About 11,924 people, with a median age of 32.5; the median household income is $59,517 and 24.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Rolette County?
2.9% in September 2026 (preliminary): 152 people unemployed in a labor force of 5,222, against 3.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Rolette County?
28 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 5 municipal, 3 township, 5 school district and 14 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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