Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett announced his campaign for re-election in a press release Tuesday.
“Serving as your Sheriff has been the honor of my lifetime,” Barrett said in a statement. “Every day, my deputies and I do everything we can to keep the residents of Dane County safe. I’m proud of what we have accomplished and I’m running for re-election to make sure that we continue moving Dane County forward.”
Barrett serves as the 53rd Sheriff of Dane County and is the first African American to hold the position. He was appointed in 2021 by Governor Tony Evers and then elected in 2022 with over 75% of the vote.
In the release, Barrett’s campaign touted his expansion of co-response teams which pair deputies with mental health professionals to safely serve residents in crisis, strengthening of re-entry programs that reduce recidivism, establishment of a Medication-Assisted Treatment program in the jail to address opioid addiction, and rejection of immigration enforcement agreements that he said erode trust and make communities less safe.
He has also been an advocate for a new consolidated jail building, calling conditions at the current jail “borderline unconstitutional.”
Barrett lives in Sun Prairie with his wife and two daughters. He is a former Wisconsin Badger football player and graduate of UW-Maidison.
The Democratic Primary Election for Dane County Sheriff will be held on August 11, 2026, and the General Election will be November 3, 2026.
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