Three running in primary for Kandiyohi County sheriff, two will advance to general election

Jul. 20—Editor's Note: Story updated to add Daniel Burns' college background, which was inadvertently left out of the story. Story also corrected to say Burns lives in Raymond, not New London.

WILLMAR — There are three candidates running for Kandiyohi County Sheriff and they will face off against each other in the Aug. 9 primary. The top two vote-getters will move forward to the general election, when voters will choose the county's next sheriff.

All three of the candidates have long work histories with and are currently employed by the Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office. The candidates are Deputy Daniel Burns, incumbent Sheriff Eric Holien and Patrol Sgt. Eric Tollefson.

Burns hopes the third time running for sheriff will be the charm. He continues to put his name forward because he believes he can offer the county a different kind of sheriff.

A native of Kandiyohi County, Burns has lived most of his life in the county, except for a few months when he started his law enforcement career. Burns earned his law enforcement degree and skills from Alexandria Technical and Community College. His career began in the city of Clarkfield in 1984, but only six months later he took a job as a dispatcher with Kandiyohi County in early 1985.

Over his 36 years with the Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office, he has served as a dispatcher, patrol deputy, investigator and then in court security, a position he has held for 22 years.

In his free time, Burns enjoys sharing his love of music with the singing group Jukebox Live. Burns and his wife call Raymond home and have six adult children.

Burns said he will be a much more visible presence in the community than past sheriffs. He believes one of the top jobs of a county sheriff is to be the main public relations officer for the department.

Burn's top three priorities as sheriff will be mental health, addiction and community relationships. He would be an advocate to build additional mental health beds and offer treatment options for those who need them. He wants to make sure inmates dealing with addictions can find treatment and support both in and out of jail.

And as sheriff, Burns said he wants to improve relations between the Sheriff's Office and the communities it serves.

"Now more than ever, post-COVID, post-George Floyd, post-Daunte Wright, if we don't put someone in that job that wants to improve relations with the public, then we are in for more of the same and maybe worse," Burns said. "I don't think there is anything more proactive than your sheriff getting out and getting the pulse of what is happening in the community."

Holien is running for his second term as the county's top law enforcement officer. He was first elected sheriff in 2018, replacing retiring Sheriff Dan Hartog.

Following his high school graduation from MACCRAY, Holien served in the United States Army from 1995 to 1997 and in the Minnesota National Guard from 1997 to 2002. He earned his associate of applied science degree in law enforcement from Alexandria Technical College.

Holien lives on a hobby farm with his wife, Stephanie. The couple have two children.

His first law enforcement job was with the city of Cosmos. From 2000 to 2002 he served as a police officer and then was promoted to chief. He was also a city firefighter and emergency medical technician.

He then was hired by the Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office in 2002. During his tenure with the county, prior to his election as sheriff, he held a variety of positions including patrol deputy, patrol deputy corporal, SWAT Team assistant leader and leader, field training officer, defensive tactics instructor, Taser instructor, active shooter instructor and firearms instructor.

He has also taught several classes at Alexandria Technical College.

Outside of law enforcement, Holien owns and operates Great Lakes Training Group, which teaches judo and jujitsu and offers firearms training.

As sheriff, Holien said he has worked diligently to fulfill the vision he and other stakeholders had for the department, and hopes to continue that during a second term. His top priorities are offering employee wellness programs for things such as physical fitness and mental health; pursuing best practices for law enforcement responses to mental health crises; and offer recovery and transition assistance for those criminal offenders who are chemically dependent or need mental health services.

"Law enforcement is an ever-changing, challenging career, and you need someone in charge who understands the social contract we maintain as a Sheriff's Office and the people we serve," Holien said.

Born and raised in Sunburg, Tollefson is the fifth generation of his family to live in Kandiyohi County. He has been a law enforcement officer for 26 years, having worked for Kandiyohi County for most of that time.

He earned a bachelor's in biology from St. Cloud State University in 1994 and completed his law enforcement skills training at Alexandria Technical College.

His first job was with the city of Clarkfield in March 1996 and he was also hired by the Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office in 1996. He was a patrol deputy for seven years, a detective for 11 years and in 2014 was promoted to patrol sergeant. He has also served as a field training officer, water patrol officer, snowmobile and ATV patrol officer, cold water rescue team member, drug recognition evaluator and a member of the SWAT team.

Tollefson also served on the Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg School Board for 12 years. Tollefson and his wife live in Sunburg and have two adult children.

His experience in various aspects of the Sheriff's Office has given Tollefson a unique perspective that he believes would make him a successful sheriff, he said. He is able to interact with the county's diverse community, lead staff, solve problems and bring people together. He wants to make the community safer and foster an environment of trust if elected.

If elected Tollefson's top priorities include ensuring staff are able to safely and compassionately respond to the mental health crises they come across while on the job; continue working as part of the CEE-VI Drug and Gang Task Force; and engage with all staff of the Sheriff's Office, as well as the community, to create a cohesive department and community.

"I am a person that steps up and rises to the challenge," Tollefson said. "I am willing to put in the work to make our community safer and to foster an environment of trust."