View source for Hennepin County, Minnesota

==Law and government==

===Commissioners===
Like all Minnesota counties, Hennepin is governed by an elected and [[Non-partisan democracy|nonpartisan]] board of commissioners. In Minnesota, county commissions usually have five members, but Hennepin, [[Ramsey County, Minnesota|Ramsey]], [[Dakota County, Minnesota|Dakota]], [[Anoka County, Minnesota|Anoka]] and [[St. Louis County, Minnesota|St. Louis]] counties have seven members. Each commissioner represents a district of approximately equal population. In Hennepin County, the commission appoints the [[medical examiner]], the county [[auditor]]-[[treasurer]], and the [[recorder of deeds#United States: recorders of deeds|county recorder]]. The [[sheriff]] and county attorney are also elected on a nonpartisan ticket. The county government's headquarters are in [[downtown]] [[Minneapolis]] in the [[Hennepin County Government Center]]. The county oversees the [[Hennepin County Library]] system (which merged with the [[Minneapolis Public Library]] system in 2008) and [[Hennepin County Medical Center]]. The county commission also elects a [[chairperson|chair]] who presides at meetings.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! District
! Commissioner
! In office<br />since
! Current term<br />expires in January
|-{{party shading/Republican}}
|1st ||Jeff Lunde ([[Republican Party of Minnesota|Republican]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.startribune.com/brooklyn-park-mayor-defies-conservative-conventions-aims-for-state-senate/369541901/|title=Brooklyn Park mayor defies conservative conventions, aims for state Senate|website=[[Star Tribune]]|date=February 20, 2016 }}</ref> ||2021 ||2025<ref name="2021 redistricting guide">{{cite web |title=2021 REDISTRICTING GUIDE |url=https://www.sos.mn.gov/media/4582/2021-redistricting-guide.pdf |website=sos.mn.gov |publisher=Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240613064504/https://www.sos.mn.gov/media/4582/2021-redistricting-guide.pdf |archive-date=2024-06-13 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-{{party shading/Democratic}}
|2nd ||Irene Fernando ([[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party|DFL]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.startribune.com/fernando-and-yang-vying-for-hennepin-county-commissioner-in-district-2/497984141/|title=Fernando and Yang vying for Hennepin County Commissioner in District 2|website=[[Star Tribune]]|date=October 19, 2018 }}</ref> ||2019 ||2027
|-{{party shading/Democratic}}
|3rd || [[Marion Greene]] ([[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party|DFL]])<ref name="spokesman-recorder.com">{{Cite web|url=https://spokesman-recorder.com/2018/08/30/elections-101-hennepin-county-races/|title=Elections 101: Hennepin County Races|date=August 30, 2018}}</ref> (chair)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hennepin.us/your-government/leadership/3rd-district|title=Marion Greene, District 3|website=Hennepin.us|access-date=March 7, 2019}}</ref>||2014 || 2027
|-{{party shading/Democratic}}
|4th ||Angela Conley ([[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party|DFL]])<ref name="spokesman-recorder.com"/> ||2019 || 2027
|-{{party shading/Democratic}}
|5th ||Debbie Goettel ([[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party|DFL]])<ref name="hometownsource.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hometownsource.com/sun_post/news/2020_election_sun_post/fresh-faces-on-hennepin-county-board-look-to-challenges-ahead/article_c9244f66-2441-11eb-9cbd-13c903fa72e4.html|title=Fresh faces on Hennepin County Board look to challenges ahead|date=November 11, 2020 }}</ref> ||2017 ||2025<ref name="2021 redistricting guide"/>
|-{{party shading/Democratic}}
|6th ||[[Heather Edelson]] ([[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party|DFL]])<ref name="hometownsource.com"/>  ||2024 ||2025<ref name="2021 redistricting guide"/>
|-{{party shading/Democratic}}
|7th ||Kevin Anderson (American politician)|Kevin Anderson ([[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party|DFL]])<ref name="hometownsource.com"/> ||2021 ||2025<ref name="2021 redistricting guide"/>
|}

===Key staff===
Hennepin County's normal operations are coordinated by the County Administrator David Hough, Assistant County Administrator for Human Services Jodi Wentland, Assistant County Administrator for Operations Dan Rogan, Assistant County Administrator for Public Works Lisa Cerney, Assistant County Administrator for Disparity Reduction May Xiong, and Assistant County Administrator for Public Safety Chela Guzman-Wiegert.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hennepin.us/your-government/leadership/county-administrator|title = Office of the county administrator}}</ref>

===Public safety===
====County Sheriff====
The [[Hennepin County Sheriff's Office|Hennepin County Sheriff]] manages the county jail, patrols waterways, provides security for the District Court, handles home foreclosures, participates in homeland security activities and in law enforcement, and by state law is responsible for handling applications for permits to carry a firearm for county residents. The sheriff is [[Dawanna Witt]], who was elected in 2022.<ref name="auto">{{Cite news |last=Ibrahim | first=Mohamed |date=November 8, 2022 |title=Moriarty wins Hennepin County attorney race; Witt the next county sheriff |url=https://www.minnpost.com/elections/2022/11/moriarty-is-new-hennepin-county-attorney-witt-the-next-county-sheriff/ |accessdate=February 17, 2023 |newspaper=[[MinnPost]]}}</ref>

====Medical examiner's office====
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office is responsible for investigating all unexpected deaths in Hennepin County as well as neighboring [[Dakota County, Minnesota|Dakota]] and [[Scott County, Minnesota|Scott]] counties. The office determines who and why a person died, which may lead to criminal charges being filed by prosecutors. Upon request, the office may provide services for other jurisdictions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Examiner |first=Medical |title=Medical examiner's office |url=https://www.hennepin.us/ME |access-date=April 14, 2024 |website=Hennepin County, Minnesota |language=en}}</ref>

====County Attorney====
The Hennepin County Attorney sets policies and priorities for prosecuting criminal cases, oversees child protection and child support cases, and provides legal advice and representation to county government. The current County Attorney is [[Mary Moriarty]], who was elected in [[2022 Hennepin County Attorney election|2022]].<ref name="auto" />