ST. PETER — Aaron Petersen, who rose up the ranks of the Nicollet County Sheriff’s Office from a jailer to chief deputy, is slated to take the top spot on New Year’s Eve.
Sheriff Dave Lange, who has held office for nearly 23 years, is retiring just over one year before his sixth term expires.
Lange’s retirement was announced by Nicollet County on its Facebook page Friday and prompted 270 comments in less than 24 hours, all but a handful offering congratulations and well wishes.
“Sheriff Lange’s leadership, commitment, and service have made a lasting impact on our community,” the announcement stated. “We are grateful for his decades of dedication to public service and wish him the very best in this next chapter.”
The post goes on to explain that “the appointment to fill the remaining term will be announced at the December 16 Nicollet County Board meeting.”
Tuesday’s announcement doesn’t carry too much suspense because the official board resolution appointing Petersen has already been written in preparation for the meeting.
The resolution notes that Lange plans to retire at noon on Dec. 31 and that “the Board desires to appoint Aaron Petersen to serve as Sheriff upon the retirement of Sheriff Lange as permitted under Minn. Stat. 375.08(a).”
The state law cited allows a county board to fill an elected position such as county attorney or sheriff by appointment at a regular board meeting. The appointment, which will occur at 12:01 p.m. on Dec. 31 if the board passes the resolution, lasts until the end of the four-year term.
The announcement didn’t state why Lange decided to retire prior to the end of this term, but the decision will allow Petersen, if he chooses to file as a candidate for the four-year term that will be decided by voters on Nov. 3, to run as the sitting sheriff. Running as the incumbent could be an advantage, particularly if other deputies are considering a campaign for the office.
Petersen has worked in the sheriff’s office since 2004, initially as a jailer and dispatcher. After obtaining his state peace officer license in 2006, he served as deputy, then investigator and then chief deputy.
Lange fended off a challenge by Marc Chadderdon, an investigator with the sheriff’s office, in the 2022 general election — the first time he had faced an opponent since his initial victory in 2002. Chadderdon retired from the sheriff’s office in 2024 after 30 years in law enforcement.