For the first time in 20 years, St. Louis County will elect a new sheriff

DULUTH — For the first time in two decades, voters in the geographically vast St. Louis County will pick a new sheriff — a race that pits an internal candidate who has climbed the ranks against Duluth's former police chief.

Jason Lukovsky, the current undersheriff, is an heir apparent who has been with the department since the start of his career; Gordon Ramsay has held top positions in Duluth and Wichita, Kan., having served a combined 16 years as police chief.

The St. Louis County Sheriff oversees about 260 employees and manages law enforcement services, emergency dispatch and corrections in the county that stretches nearly 7,000 square miles. Ramsay, a known name for more than a decade, had a slight edge in the August primary that eliminated candidate Chad Walsh — though not completely. The Moose Lake police officer and business owner is running a write-in campaign that seemingly centers on deviating from the status quo.

Outgoing Sheriff Ross Litman is retiring after 20 years as police chief and 30 with the St. Louis County Sheriff's department. His last day is Jan. 1, 2023 — just in time for curling season, one of his many recreational interests.

Litman, who has run unopposed in every election since his first, said he feels good about where he is leaving the department.

"We have a great culture here," he said. "We are still, despite the economy and the issues in the criminal justice system, we're still recruiting and retaining quality staff in all positions. Our physical facility infrastructures are in good shape from a tech standpoint. And I'm proud of that."

He has a favorite — he has promoted Lukovsky throughout his career — but said the county will be in good shape either way.

Both candidates have spent debates talking about crime, mental health emergencies and the staffing shortage that has plagued Minnesota law enforcement agencies since the police murder of George Floyd.

Lukovsky, 50, who graduated from Denfeld High School and the University of Minnesota Duluth, has 24 years with the department. He has been an investigator, sergeant, lieutenant, supervising deputy and was appointed undersheriff in 2021. He has set himself apart by stressing his insider experience.

"Having come up through our organization and really the only candidate with sheriff's office experience, I understand the duties and the responsibilities and the obligations the sheriff has to the constituents and voters of St. Louis County," he said in an interview.

His endorsements include the Duluth Police Union, the St. Louis County Deputy Sheriff's Association and the AFL/CIO Duluth Central Labor Body.

Ramsay, 49, has also lived in Duluth for most of his life. The Duluth East and UMD graduate was hired by the Duluth Police Department in the mid-1990s and was appointed police chief in 2006 by then-mayor Herb Bergson. He held that position until 2016, when he took the police chief job in Wichita, Kan. He left there in March 2022, and told KSN-TV in Wichita at the time that he wanted to spend more time with his family.

Ramsay wasn't available for an interview. On his website, he touts his 29 years — 16 as police chief — as a law enforcement official and leader. In a recent debate hosted by WDSE-WRPT, he talked about staffing shortages in the county-run dispatch center.

"In many cases, we're hemorrhaging staff at the sheriff's office," he said. "It is really critical we turn that around for public safety. I have a 16-year track record of ensuring we have people in the seats, and reducing crime and building trust."

Ramsay has some former Duluth city officials backing him, in addition to Karen Diver, former chairwoman of Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the Iron Range Police Chiefs Association, and the mayors of Virginia, Gilbert, Eveleth and Floodwood, Minn.

He has talked up in debates the mileage he has put on his truck traveling the county on the campaign trail.

"I want to be a sheriff for all of St. Louis County as too often I hear from law enforcement leaders on the Iron Range that they do not know the sheriff or undersheriff, receive little to no communication and feel forgotten," he said in response to a question in the Star Tribune's election guide.

Lukovsky, who describes himself as a collaborative leader, said he would like to see the department represent itself more publicly.

"We don't promote ourselves as much as we should," he said. "We don't have a social media platform, we rely on old-school press releases. Sometimes we fly under the radar. We don't get the keyboard warriors, but we don't look as transparent as we could be."