Washington County Sheriff Dan Starry announced Tuesday that he will not run for a third term.

The position will be up for election in November 2026. Starry said he made the announcement now to “give people plenty of time to think about if they want to get in the race.”

Two law enforcement veterans had announced as of Tuesday that they’ll run for sheriff: Jeremy Bolen, who’s worked for the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office for 21 years, and lives in Cottage Grove; and Stillwater Police Chief Brian Mueller, who has 27 years of law enforcement experience, and previously worked for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

Starry has been serving as sheriff since he was appointed in 2017 when then-Sheriff Bill Hutton retired. He was elected sheriff in 2018 and again in 2022.

Starry said Tuesday he’s proud of his office’s work on mental health — for his own staff, people in the jail and people in the community — and of collaboration between the county attorney, and police and fire chiefs.

Starry will be 56 when he leaves the sheriff’s office, where he’s spent his whole career.

“It’s bittersweet, that’s for sure,” he said.

He has three grandchildren, two of whom were born in the past month, and he and his wife want to be able to spend more time with them and their children.

2 candidates for sheriff as of now

Bolen previously announced his run for sheriff. Mueller made his official announcement Tuesday, after Starry said he wouldn’t seek reelection.

Mueller worked for the Washington County Sheriff’s office for 23 years in various roles; his last position there was chief deputy under Starry. He’s been the Stillwater police chief since January 2021.

Bolen started volunteering as a reserve deputy for the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office in 2004, became a licensed peace officer in 2007 and was hired that year as a Ramsey County sheriff’s deputy.

He’s worked in a variety of roles and is now commander of support services and administrative support in the patrol division.

Mueller, of Baytown Township, says he’s a lifelong resident of Washington County. He graduated from Woodbury High School.

Bolen grew up on the Iron Range.

He said he settled in the Twin Cities after college, moved to Woodbury in 2007 and now lives in Cottage Grove.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office has about 300 employees, of which 130 are sworn law enforcement officers. Its budget is about $51 million, Starry said.

“After conversations with community members, neighbors, sheriff’s office employees, and city leaders there was a need identified for a different style of leadership in the sheriff’s office in Washington County,” Bolen said in a statement.

He said his leadership experience and “commitment to building strong relationships with community members” led to his decision to run for sheriff.

Mueller said, that with his deep community roots and career in public safety, he’s running for sheriff “to ensure Washington County continues to be a safe, secure and thriving place to live, work, and raise a family.”

“Now more than ever, we need strong, proven leadership that embraces modern policing strategies while honoring the core values of service and accountability,” he said in a statement.