Women Sheriffs in Wisconsin
Women remain profoundly underrepresented in sheriff leadership across Wisconsin. Of the state’s 72 counties, only 6 (8%) currently have a woman serving as sheriff. A level of representation that is unacceptably low for a modern public safety system.
The historical trend underscores the depth of this disparity. For more than a decade (2005–2015), Wisconsin had only one to two women sheriffs in total. While the number has increased modestly in recent election cycles, reaching six in 2025, this growth highlights how late and limited women’s access to these roles has been. In a state known for early leadership on women’s rights, from being the first to ratify the 19th Amendment to passing the nation’s first equal-rights law, such minimal progress in law enforcement leadership is concerning.
The fact that nearly every woman currently serving is the first in her county’s history demonstrates that women are only beginning to gain a foothold in positions that carry significant authority over public safety, corrections, and county budgets.
Only the following six counties have a woman serving as sheriff:
• Barron County
• Burnett County
• Florence County
• Menominee County
• Milwaukee County
• Ozaukee County
In a statewide system of 72 sheriff offices, this level of representation signals a clear need for expanded pathways, leadership development, and systemic efforts to support women’s participation in law enforcement leadership.
History of Women Sheriffs in Wisconsin
| Name | County | How She Became Sheriff | Year First Took Office | Notes / Significance |
|---|
| Hanna C. Saunders | Burnett County | Elected | 1924 | Identified by the Wisconsin Women’s Council as Wisconsin’s first woman elected sheriff. Succeeded her husband. |
| Emma Leonard | Langlade County | Appointed | 1924 | Appointed after husband’s death; sometimes cited locally as the “first woman sheriff” in WI. |
| Emma Lutien | Kewaunee County | Appointed | 1925 | Appointed to serve the remainder of her husband’s term; first woman sheriff in Kewaunee County. |
| Jennie (Mrs. Joseph) Kassner | Kewaunee County | Elected | 1932 | First woman elected sheriff in Kewaunee County. |
| Gloria Bridenhagen | Door County | Elected | 1963 | Wife of long-time Door County Sheriff Hollis “Baldy” Bridenhagen. |
| Delores W. Lein | Sawyer County | Elected | 1966 | First woman sheriff in Sawyer County. |
| Ann Hraychuck | Polk County | Elected | 2001 | Sheriff 2001–2006; later served in the State Assembly. |
| Nancy Hove | Pierce County | Elected | 2006 | Long-serving Pierce County sheriff; listed among four women sheriffs in WI in 2021. |
| Tracy Finch | Burnett County | Elected | 2018 | One of the four women sheriffs in WI as of 2021. |
| Tammy Sternard | Door County | Elected | 2018 | Door County’s second female sheriff. |
| Rebecca Smith | Menominee County | Elected | 2018 | First woman sheriff in Menominee County; among WI’s 2021 female sheriffs. |
| Denita R. Ball | Milwaukee County | Elected | 2022 | Milwaukee County’s first female sheriff and first Black woman sheriff in Wisconsin. |
| Christy Knowles | Ozaukee County | Elected | 2022 | Ozaukee County’s first female sheriff. |
| Teresa Chrisman | Florence County | Appointed | 2023 | Appointed by Governor Evers. |
| Jodi Kummet | Barron County | Appointed | 2025 | First woman sheriff in Barron County history; appointed by Governor Evers to serve through 2027.
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Note: This is the most complete documented list that can be assembled from public online sources. Please notify the Women's Council at wwcwomenscouncil@wisconsin.gov with any corrections.