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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Potter County: 11 seats on 7 elected bodies. 6 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Potter County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerPatrick Everson sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerWilliam Frost sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerSandra Hagny source
County CommissionerTonya Tanner source
County CommissionerJesse Zweber source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County AuditorTyler VanderVorst sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
CoronerMandy Luikens sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Register of DeedsJamie Hageman sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
SheriffCurtis Hamburger sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
State's AttorneyKatie Thompson source
County TreasurerJeanie Lagan source

How many local governments Potter County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 8 local governments in Potter 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 townships40
School districts (school boards)20
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 Potter County

2,388people
49.9median ageU.S.: 38.9
$72,045 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
6.2%below the U.S.: 12.5%
27.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$121,300median home valueU.S.: $332,700
2.6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.3%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
5.3%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
4.3%U.S.: 8.4%
43.1%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
18.8%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 0% · White 93.3% · Black 1.5% · Asian 0.6% · Other or more than one race 4.6% (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 Potter County

2.1%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.1%. South Dakota: 1.7%.
25people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
1,160people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
1,185in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Potter 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)2.1%251,1601,185
August 20262.8%341,1861,220
July 20262.6%321,2061,238
June 20262.9%361,1941,230
May 20262.5%301,1851,215
April 20263.1%381,1731,211
March 20263.6%461,2181,264
February 20263.7%441,1461,190
January 20263.4%401,1251,165
December 20253.1%371,1721,209
November 20252.9%351,1691,204
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20252.1%251,1801,205
August 20252.3%291,2471,276
July 20252.4%301,2171,247
June 20252.2%271,2131,240
May 20251.9%231,1631,186
April 20251.9%231,1741,197
March 20251.7%211,2311,252
February 20251.9%231,1721,195
January 20251.7%201,1731,193
December 20242.2%251,1141,139
November 20242.1%241,1421,166
October 20241.7%211,2081,229
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)2.2%271,1921,219
20242.0%251,2121,237
20232.0%251,2061,231
20222.1%251,1901,215
20212.4%301,2041,234
20202.7%331,1711,204
20192.6%311,1791,210
20183.0%381,2321,270
20172.9%381,2631,301
20162.5%341,3021,336

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 Potter County

80.2 per 100,0002020. South Dakota: 501.4.
200.6 per 100,0002020. South Dakota: 1,956.7.
0murders2020, 2 violent crimes in all.

2020 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
2020280.25200.6
20194157.15196.4
By police agency (2)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Gettysburg Police Department2020221,070
Potter County Sheriff's Office201610746

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

1.66 per 1,000 residents2023, 2 agencies serving 2,412 people.
4sworn officers2023, full-time, as of October 31.
1civilian staff2023, full-time.

2023 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (2), 2023
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Potter County Sheriff's Office211,339
Gettysburg Police Department201,073
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
202341.6612
202241.6012
202152.3512
202031.4112
201941.8412

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 Potter County County Auditor?
Tyler VanderVorst is the County Auditor of Potter County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Potter County Coroner?
Mandy Luikens is the Coroner of Potter County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Potter County Register of Deeds?
Jamie Hageman is the Register of Deeds of Potter County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Potter County Sheriff?
Curtis Hamburger is the Sheriff of Potter County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Potter County State's Attorney?
Katie Thompson is the State's Attorney of Potter County, South Dakota.
Who is the Potter County County Treasurer?
Jeanie Lagan is the County Treasurer of Potter County, South Dakota.
Who are the Potter County commissioners?
Patrick Everson (County Commissioner); William Frost (County Commissioner); Sandra Hagny (County Commissioner); Tonya Tanner (County Commissioner); Jesse Zweber (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Potter County?
About 2,388 people, with a median age of 49.9; the median household income is $72,045 and 6.2% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Potter County?
2.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 25 people unemployed in a labor force of 1,185, against 2.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Potter County?
8 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 4 municipal, 2 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.

Potter County's 2026 ballot and results · Every South Dakota county · South Dakota's members of Congress

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