Photo by Deb Gau Lyon County Sheriff candidate Eric Wallen met with local residents while he was out door-knocking in Marshall on Wednesday afternoon. Wallen is the only candidate still running for Lyon County Sheriff, although he won’t be the only name on the ballot.

MARSHALL — He’s become the only person running in the race for Lyon County Sheriff. But Eric Wallen said this week it hasn’t affected his campaign plans.

“I’m still going door-to-door as best I can,” Wallen said, as well as trying to introduce himself to different community officials and organizations. “I feel if you’re running for some type of office, you should do that.”

On Wednesday, Wallen was out door-knocking in the neighborhood around West Redwood Street in Marshall. The response from community members has been positive, he says. The only confusing part comes if a voter asks who he’s running against.

The Lyon County Sheriff’s race has taken an unusual turn this year. Wallen, a sergeant with the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, and Marshall Police Sgt. Jim Marshall were the top two candidates to come out of August’s sheriff primary. But then Marshall was offered — and accepted — a position as the city’s next police chief when Public Safety Director Rob Yant retires.

It was too late to take Marshall’s name off the ballot, although Marshall stopped campaigning for sheriff after he accepted his new job.

Wallen has continued his campaign, trying to get to as many Lyon County voters and communities as he can.

Sheriff’s races are going on around southwest Minnesota this fall. Not all area races are contested — Redwood County Sheriff Randy Hanson and Yellow Medicine County Sheriff Bill Flaten are both running for re-election uncontested. In Murray County, Sheriff Steve Telkamp is running for re-election against challenger Paul Kenney. In Lincoln County, Sheriff Chad Meester is running for re-election against challenger Nathan Nafziger.

In Lyon County, Wallen said some of his key priorities as sheriff have come from talking with area residents. He said residents are concerned about community safety — especially in schools — as well as dealing with mental health concerns, drugs, and making sure the sheriff’s office is fiscally responsible.

“People want us to be responsible with their money,” Wallen said.

Wallen said his work experience as a sergeant has helped prepare him to address those concerns. The sheriff’s sergeants work with the sheriff and have a role in creating and sticking to the department’s budget. Wallen has also been part of the Drug Court team in Lyon County. The program seeks to help people with addiction and prevent further drug use.

Wallen said he didn’t think he’d be able to knock on every single door in the county before Election Day, but he does plan to be part of a local candidate forum on Oct. 25 at the Marshall-Lyon County Library. The event will run from 6-8 p.m., and feature county, city and Marshall School Board candidates.

In the Murray County sheriff’s race, Telkamp received more than 57 percent of the votes cast in the August primary, despite some controversy surrounding him this year. The Murray County Board called for Telkamp to resign in May, after allegations he was creating a hostile work environment. However, Telkamp said in a letter that he would continue to serve as sheriff, and would seek re-election. The Murray County Board also hired a governmental operations consultant in May, who is focused on the sheriff’s office.

Telkamp has served as Murray County Sheriff for 16 years.

Telkamp’s challenger in the Murray County Sheriff’s race is Paul Kenney. Kenney is a Fulda resident and a long-time law enforcement officer. He’s currently the city of Fulda’s police chief, a position he has held for 18 years.

In Lincoln County, incumbent Sheriff Chad Meester and challenger Nathan Nafziger are running for sheriff. Meester has been with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office full-time since 2011, and was elected sheriff after being appointed to the position in 2014.

“I have been truly fortunate and honored to serve as sheriff the past four years,” Meester said. He said he saw the sheriff’s position as an opportunity for public service, and has worked to balance administrative duties with day-to-day law enforcement duties. Meester said he wants to continue moving the agency forward. One example included his work with a coalition focused on addressing mental health issues.

Nafziger has served as both local and county law enforcement in Lincoln County. He has been a deputy with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office for six years, and prior to that he was a Tyler Police officer. Nafziger said one of his goals if elected is to work to improve communication between the Sheriff’s Office and communities, law enforcement and emergency management in Lincoln County. Having joint training with other agencies would be a positive thing, Nafziger said.

‘“Everyone working together should be a key priority,” he said.

Nafziger also emphasized public service as being important for Lincoln County’s sheriff.

“The county isn’t big enough for the sheriff to be administrative only,” he said.