NICOLLET COUNTY — Sheriff Dave Lange held off a challenge from within his department Tuesday, winning re-election with 9,065 votes to 5,087 for Nicollet County Investigator Marc Chadderdon.

Results are unofficial.

The Nicollet County sheriff for 20 years, Lange said his biggest challenges are dealing with people with drug and mental health issues and finding enough dispatchers.

“I’d like to think things are going fairly well, other than drugs laced with substances like fentanyl,” Lange said. “We continue to respond to people with mental health issues. We’re working with people the best we can, getting them the help they need. We have to find people a bed in a place where they can get help.”

Lange said it is not uncommon to transport individuals with mental health issues to Anoka or as far north as Fargo, N.D.

“I have a deputy dedicated only to the drug task force,” Lange said.

He said filling dispatch positions is a challenge, as it is in surrounding counties.

Lange said inflation is another issue.

“I could replace a squad car for under $20,000 two decades ago. Now its $48,000,” said Lange.

A lifetime Nicollet County resident, Lange is a board member on the River Valley Tactical Response Team, Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force and Brown County Evaluation Center. He’s also a DNR youth firearms safety instructor, Special Olympics Polar Plunge organizer and Nicollet Lions Club member.

Chadderdon has been with the Nicollet County Sheriff’s Office for 28 years. He campaigned on doing more community outreach at Gustavus Adolphus College, South Central College and to the Somali population. He credited St. Peter Police with doing a great job with those people.

In the county commissioner’s races, challenger Kurt Zins of Nicollet topped District 5 Commissioner John Luepke, getting 1,801 votes to 1,717 for Luepke.

In Renville county, with all precincts reporting, John Robinson of Franklin had 654 votes to 441 for Jacob Rieke of Fairfax for the District 2 County Commissioner seat. For county attorney, Kelsie Kingstrom had 4,226 votes to 1,658 for Glen M. Jacobsen.

In Sibley County, Lyle Grochow received 628 votes to 494 for Fred Latzke Jr. with all four precincts reported.

With all 20 precincts reported in the GFW (Gibbon Fairfax Winthrop) School Board election, Kenneth Briese got 1,332 votes and incumbent Casey J. Prochniak 928 votes for the Gibbon district. There were 14 write-ins. For the Winthrop district, Emilee Steher got 1,191 votes, Peter Schuckert 556 and Nathan Loewy 464 votes. There were 17 write-ins. Amy Acree got 2,071 votes in the Fairfax district. There were 31 write-ins.

(Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@

nujournal.com).