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Captain Darren Hodak seeks appointment as Barron County sheriff as incumbent departs
Summary
Captain Darren Hodak told the Barron County Board he has applied to be appointed sheriff following the departure of Sheriff Fitzgerald; Fitzgerald endorsed Hodak and described his decision to leave.
Captain Darren Hodak, a 17-year member of the Barron County Sheriff’s Department, told the Barron County Board of Supervisors on May 19 that he has applied for appointment to the position of sheriff after the incumbent decided to leave.
Hodak, who said he was promoted to captain in February 2023, told supervisors he wants to “keep the sheriff’s department running the right direction,” to continue relationships with community partners and to avoid making “major changes.” He said his goal is to “run it effectively and efficiently” and to ensure “every deputy, every dispatcher, and every jailer go home to their families at the end of the shift.”
County Sheriff Fitzgerald, who announced his departure during the meeting, spoke in support of Hodak. Fitzgerald said he was leaving because “it’s kind of a perfect opportunity to leave,” and denied media rumors about his health or family: “I’m not sick. I’m not running for another office. There’s lots of rumors out there, but I don’t have cancer. My wife’s not leaving me.” He added that Hodak had “my full support” and that the county would make Hodak’s candidacy known to the governor.
Hodak described his background to the board: hired in February 2008, six years on patrol, promotion to patrol sergeant and then captain, and prior military service deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003–2004 as a U.S. Army combat engineer. He said he will submit letters of recommendation to the governor and thanked board members who had already voiced support.
No formal appointment or vote occurred at the May 19 meeting. Hodak said he will be submitting application materials to the governor’s office in the coming days and encouraged supervisors who receive calls about the appointment to mention his name.
Ending: Hodak closed by thanking the board and saying he would follow up with any supervisors who had questions. Sheriff Fitzgerald said he plans to work for a private company and to continue community partnerships with the sheriff’s office in his new role.
