Lake County Sheriff Nathan Stadler Will Not Seek Re-election 2026

Sheriff Nathan Stadler announced via a Facebook post that he will retire at the end of his current term and will not seek a second elected term in 2026, a message reported Feb. 17 by WTIP reporter Kalli Hawkins. WTIP noted Stadler was elected in November 2022 and sworn into office on January 3, 2023.

In the Facebook post quoted by WTIP Stadler wrote, “The past 32 years serving the residents of Lake County has truly been an honor.” He added, “From my first day in a Silver Bay Police uniform to my final days as Sheriff, I have had the privilege of working alongside some of the finest men and women in law enforcement and emergency services,” and said he is “grateful to the Sheriff’s Office staff, county leaders, and citizens who have placed their trust in me. Your support has meant a lot.”

Stadler’s long career in Lake County law enforcement is documented in background material published earlier by Northshorejournal Co. He graduated from William Kelley High School in Silver Bay in 1990 and earned an Associate in Applied Science degree in Law Enforcement from Alexandria Technical College in 1992. Northshorejournal Co reports he was hired as a part-time Silver Bay police officer in 1994, joined the Lake County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy in 1996, was promoted to sergeant in 2013, elevated to undersheriff in 2020, and was appointed interim sheriff by the Lake County Board of Commissioners in 2022 after the retirement of Sheriff Carey Johnson.

Local government records on the Lake County website list the Sheriff’s Office at the Law Enforcement Center, 613 3rd Ave in Two Harbors, and provide the public email sheriff@co.lake.mn.us for comments. The county site also preserves administrative dates tied to Stadler’s tenure, including a public comment period on a draft body-worn camera policy from April 1 through April 15, 2024 and a related Lake County Board meeting set for Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in the Split Rock River Room at the Lake County Service Center, 616 Third Avenue.

Operational notices on the county site show the Sheriff’s Office working with regional partners; a county accident report listed responding agencies as the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, Lake County Rescue Squad, Morse-Fall Lake Fire Department and Ely Ambulance, and states the accident remains under investigation.

Regionally, KAXE grouped Stadler’s announcement with a Feb. 5 retirement announcement from Polk County Sheriff Jim Tadman, who has served nearly 40 years in that office in roles including undercover work, patrol, investigation, K-9 handler and training instructor. At the time of KAXE’s reporting they said they were not aware of candidate announcements for the sheriffs’ races in these counties.

WTIP and Northern News Now confirm the Lake County sheriff’s seat will appear on the November 2026 ballot, leaving Lake County voters to choose a successor before Stadler’s planned retirement at the end of 2026.