Oglala Lakota County, SD elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Oglala Lakota County: 11 seats on 7 elected bodies. 2 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Oglala Lakota County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerRamon Bear Runner source
County CommissionerAllyssa Comer source
County CommissionerArt Hopkins sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerAnna Takes The Shield source
County CommissionerWendell Yellow Bull source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County AuditorSue Ganje source
CoronerAudrey Martinez source
Register of DeedsMelody Engebretson source
SheriffDaylon Black Bull sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
State's AttorneyLance Russell source
County TreasurerTeresa Pullen source

How many local governments Oglala Lakota County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 4 local governments in Oglala Lakota 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)10

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 Oglala Lakota County

13,491people
28.2median ageU.S.: 38.9
$41,417 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
57.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%
11.8%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$52,900median home valueU.S.: $332,700
16.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
0.2%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
3.6%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
44.6%U.S.: 8.4%
25.7%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
49.7%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 1.9% · White 7% · Black 0.1% · Asian 0% · Other or more than one race 91% (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 Oglala Lakota County

3.4%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.7%. South Dakota: 1.7%.
123people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
3,504people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
3,627in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Oglala Lakota County 0.0%2.6%5.3%7.9%10.5% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.4%1233,5043,627
August 20265.3%2043,6343,838
July 20266.3%2333,4833,716
June 20265.5%2033,5173,720
May 20263.9%1433,5653,708
April 20264.0%1503,5883,738
March 20264.8%1793,5833,762
February 20265.7%2163,5723,788
January 20265.4%2013,5433,744
December 20256.2%2363,5893,825
November 20255.8%2233,6193,842
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.7%1783,6033,781
August 20256.4%2563,7754,031
July 20257.2%2823,6513,933
June 20256.2%2433,6913,934
May 20253.9%1483,6513,799
April 20254.3%1653,6583,823
March 20253.9%1473,6343,781
February 20254.5%1713,6563,827
January 20254.5%1733,6333,806
December 20245.5%2133,6263,839
November 20245.1%1953,6243,819
October 20245.4%2083,6253,833
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)5.2%2023,6513,853
20245.4%2063,6083,814
20234.7%1833,7153,898
20224.1%1683,9534,121
20216.5%2723,9214,193
20207.9%3273,7924,119
20197.4%2853,5643,849
20188.7%3373,5413,878
20179.8%3853,5523,937
201610.0%3953,5613,956

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. South Dakota's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 2.0% 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 Oglala Lakota County

0.0 per 100,0002016. South Dakota: 422.0.
0.0 per 100,0002016. South Dakota: 1,997.2.
0murders2016, 0 violent crimes in all.

2016 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.

By police agency (1)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Oglala Lakota County Sheriff's Office20160014,492

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 South Dakota · the U.S.

Police staffing

0.15 per 1,000 residents2025, 1 agency serving 13,299 people.
2sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
0civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (1), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Oglala Lakota County Sheriff's Office2013,299
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
202520.1501
202410.0801
202310.0701
202220.1501
202110.0701
202010.0701
201910.0701
201810.0701
201710.0701

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 Oglala Lakota County County Auditor?
Sue Ganje is the County Auditor of Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota.
Who is the Oglala Lakota County Coroner?
Audrey Martinez is the Coroner of Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota.
Who is the Oglala Lakota County Register of Deeds?
Melody Engebretson is the Register of Deeds of Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota.
Who is the Oglala Lakota County Sheriff?
Daylon Black Bull is the Sheriff of Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Oglala Lakota County State's Attorney?
Lance Russell is the State's Attorney of Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota.
Who is the Oglala Lakota County County Treasurer?
Teresa Pullen is the County Treasurer of Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota.
Who are the Oglala Lakota County commissioners?
Ramon Bear Runner (County Commissioner); Allyssa Comer (County Commissioner); Art Hopkins (County Commissioner); Anna Takes The Shield (County Commissioner); Wendell Yellow Bull (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Oglala Lakota County?
About 13,491 people, with a median age of 28.2; the median household income is $41,417 and 57.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Oglala Lakota County?
3.4% in September 2026 (preliminary): 123 people unemployed in a labor force of 3,627, against 4.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Oglala Lakota County?
4 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 1 municipal, 1 school district and 1 special district governments.

Officeholders as of December 2, 2025, from the Secretary of State's South Dakota Legislative Manual (Blue Book); 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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