Election Results: Area Sheriff’s Races

NORTHWEST WISCONSIN -- Tuesday’s primary election has largely set the stage for the November sheriff’s races across DrydenWire’s six-county coverage area of Barron, Burnett, Polk, Rusk, Sawyer, and Washburn counties.

In four counties — Polk, Rusk, Sawyer, and Washburn — Republican candidates faced off in contested primaries, with the winners now positioned to advance to the November 3 general election. No Democrats are currently on the ballot in those counties.

Two other counties, Barron and Burnett, did not have contested sheriff’s primaries.

In Barron County, Sheriff Jodi Kummet, who was appointed by Gov. Tony Evers after former Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald retired from law enforcement in 2025, was unopposed in the Republican primary. No Democrat filed to run for sheriff, leaving Kummet without a major-party opponent in November.

Burnett County saw a similar situation, with Mikal Anton running unopposed in the Republican primary and no Democrat entering the race. Anton is seeking to succeed Sheriff Tracy Finch, who announced she would not seek a third term.

With no Democratic candidates on the November ballot in any of the six counties, Tuesday’s Republican primary winners are now heavily favored to become their respective county’s next sheriff.

However, the November races are not necessarily a formality. Write-in candidates can still potentially enter the contests, meaning each race could change before Election Day.

For now, though, Tuesday’s results have provided a much clearer picture of who voters will choose from when they return to the polls on November 3.

Below are the unofficial results from Tuesday’s contested sheriff’s races across the four counties that held Republican primaries.