Adams County, WA elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Adams County: 44 seats on 14 elected bodies. 7 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
Board of County Commissioners
Adams County Board of Commissioners
Each member is elected by the voters of their district.
Who lives in each of the 5 school districts (Census figures)
School district
People
Median household income
Below the poverty line
Without health insurance
Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent
Benge School District
43
$49,375
0%
0%
0%
Lind School District
1,404
$79,306
11.4%
17.9%
16.9%
Othello School District
16,789
$64,503
21.4%
17.7%
49.4%
Ritzville School District
2,586
$65,417
11.5%
7.8%
39.1%
Washtucna School District
394
$77,500
19.5%
0%
10%
Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates for each school district's area, matched to its board by name. They're estimates with a , larger for small districts.
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 33 local governments in Adams County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.
Kind of government
Census count (2022)
Listed on this page
County government
1
1
Cities, towns, villages and townships
5
1
School districts (school boards)
5
5
Special districts (elected boards)
22
1
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 Adams County
20,800people
29.3median ageU.S.: 38.9
$66,136 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
19.5%below the U.S.: 12.5%
15.7%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$273,300median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
24.5%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
3.6%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
16%U.S.: 8.4%
46.9%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
27.8%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 64.5% · White 31.1% · Black 0.2% · Asian 0.6% · Other or more than one race 3.6% (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 Adams County
3.4%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.3%. Washington: 4.3%.
343people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
9,845people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
10,188in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
3.4%
343
9,845
10,188
August 2026
4.1%
422
9,889
10,311
July 2026
3.5%
367
10,219
10,586
June 2026
3.8%
390
9,795
10,185
May 2026
4.4%
424
9,156
9,580
April 2026
5.1%
481
8,985
9,466
March 2026
5.5%
495
8,424
8,919
February 2026
6.8%
606
8,242
8,848
January 2026
6.7%
592
8,220
8,812
December 2025
6.5%
575
8,318
8,893
November 2025
5.0%
454
8,653
9,107
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
3.3%
337
9,838
10,175
August 2025
4.1%
414
9,661
10,075
July 2025
5.2%
577
10,444
11,021
June 2025
3.2%
341
10,360
10,701
May 2025
4.0%
369
8,754
9,123
April 2025
4.9%
446
8,695
9,141
March 2025
5.7%
487
8,024
8,511
February 2025
7.4%
620
7,749
8,369
January 2025
7.1%
595
7,783
8,378
December 2024
7.0%
572
7,628
8,200
November 2024
4.8%
416
8,234
8,650
October 2024
3.4%
332
9,355
9,687
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
5.0%
474
8,934
9,408
2024
4.8%
438
8,703
9,141
2023
4.8%
426
8,517
8,943
2022
4.8%
444
8,716
9,160
2021
5.5%
509
8,703
9,212
2020
7.5%
669
8,198
8,867
2019
6.3%
592
8,838
9,430
2018
6.0%
533
8,308
8,841
2017
6.2%
520
7,844
8,364
2016
6.9%
572
7,711
8,283
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. Washington's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.8% 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 Adams County
270.1 per 100,0002025. Washington: 283.9.
1,364.6 per 100,0002025. Washington: 1,974.8.
1murders2025, 57 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
57
270.1
288
1,364.6
2024
106
500.0
413
1,948.2
2023
59
279.3
512
2,423.4
2022
66
318.7
729
3,520.5
2021
38
189.9
453
2,264.3
2020
38
189.5
324
1,615.7
2019
27
136.3
304
1,534.3
2018
29
147.3
387
1,965.8
2017
30
154.9
438
2,261.5
2016
40
206.0
536
2,760.2
By police agency (3)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Adams County Sheriff's Office
2025
40
105
10,290
Othello Police Department
2025
12
153
9,115
Ritzville Police Department
2024
12
62
1,699
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 Washington · the U.S.
Police staffing
1.71 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 21,105 people.
36sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
33civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Adams County Sheriff's Office
16
21
10,290
Othello Police Department
17
10
9,115
Ritzville Police Department
3
2
1,700
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
36
1.71
33
3
2024
39
1.84
34
3
2023
40
1.89
32
3
2022
38
1.84
26
3
2021
36
1.80
27
3
2020
36
1.80
27
3
2019
36
1.82
26
3
2018
35
1.78
26
3
2017
34
1.76
28
3
2016
34
1.75
26
3
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 Adams County County Assessor?
Veronica Rodriguez (Republican) is the County Assessor of Adams County, Washington. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Adams County County Auditor?
Heidi K. Hunt (Republican) is the County Auditor of Adams County, Washington. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Adams County County Clerk?
Katie Sloan (Republican) is the County Clerk of Adams County, Washington. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Adams County Prosecuting Attorney?
Randy J. Flyckt (Republican) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Adams County, Washington. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Adams County Sheriff?
Dale J. Wagner (Republican) is the Sheriff of Adams County, Washington. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Adams County County Treasurer?
Kayla M. Meise (Republican) is the County Treasurer of Adams County, Washington. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Adams County commissioners?
Dan Blankenship (District 1); Jay R Weise (District 2); Miguel A. "Mike" Garza (District 3).
Who is on the Adams County School Board?
Whitney Kerr (Director Position 1); Heather Clinesmith (Director Position 2); Ellen Bachman (Director Position 3); Chet Clinesmith (Director Position 4); Dean Kerr (Director Position 5); Breanne Williamson (Director Position 1); Jim Weidemann (Director Position 2); Adam Labes (Director Position 3); Gregory Schmunk (Director Position 4); Andy Wahl (Director Position 5); Aaron Gerber (Director District 1); Mariah Munoz (Director District 2); Birdie A. Fought (Director District 3); Lindsy Mollotte Prows (Director Position 4 (at large)); Isauro Pruneda Jr. (Director Position 5 (at large)); Courtney Fannin (Director District 1); Reid M Phillips (Director District 2); Travis DeVore (Director District 3); Erin Repp (Director District 4); Tia Kubik (Director Position 5 (at large)); Bridget Coon (Director Position 1); Derrick Kehn (Director Position 2); Alta Hunt (Director Position 3); Jake Sitton (Director Position 5).
What is the population of Adams County?
About 20,800 people, with a median age of 29.3; the median household income is $66,136 and 19.5% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Adams County?
3.4% in September 2026 (preliminary): 343 people unemployed in a labor force of 10,188, against 3.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Adams County?
33 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 5 municipal, 5 school district and 22 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Adams County?
1: Ritzville. Each has its own page with its mayor and council.
Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Washington Secretary of State's certified results of each seat's last general election (2021–2025); 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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