Wabasha County Sheriff Retiring

Wabasha County Sheriff Rodney Bartsh has announced he is retiring at the end of his current contract.

He posted this message on social media Thursday morning.

My wife Denise and I have recently made the decision that I will not run for another term as Sheriff in 2026. When my term ends I will have been Wabasha County Sheriff for 24 years over 6 terms, and will have been in law enforcement for a career of close to 38 years. This was not an easy choice for us, but we felt it was time for my decision to be made public and allow an opportunity for this year’s candidates to form their campaigns.

Many of you know that I had previously announced my retirement four years ago before the 2022 election, but by the time the filing deadline came that year I no longer felt it was a good time to leave and changed my mind about running. It’s now four years later and the time is right. I feel that I will be leaving on a very positive note with some very good things happening in our small but very precious part of Minnesota here in Wabasha County.

The Wabasha County Sheriff’s Office has some of the best and most dedicated public servants you could hope to find. No matter who takes over as Sheriff, he or she will be well-supported and it is our sincere wish that the next Sheriff not only succeeds but thrives in the position and helps to keep our county a great place to live.

Next year I will start another adventure, but most importantly I will be able to give more attention to my wife and family than I have been able to these last 24 years. It has been the honor of my life to serve this county, but there are certainly things that come with the office that I will not miss, like calls and messages on weekends, holidays and late nights; it is a 24-hour commitment in a way that no one can understand until they take the oath of office.

I will miss not only the wonderful people I’ve worked with over the years, but also the people of this county who I came to love. I sincerely hope you felt you had a voice with me, and that we made a difference to you.

Take Care,

Your friend and Sheriff,

Rodney Bartsh